Sonic Adventure (Archie-Sonic X Adaptation)
by Zulon
Summary: Fearing that Dr. Robotnik has discovered the Hidden City of the Ancients, the Knothole Freedom Fighters and their allies ventured to Mobius' southern hemisphere to thwart his evil plans.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Beginning of Disaster

Location: Metropolis Zone

Evening...

* * *

A dark blanket hung over the sprawling cityscape, courtesy of the thousands of tons of smog being ejected into the atmosphere. Like a well oiled machine, each and every factory worked in nefarious harmony, to spread Dr. Eggman's glorious influence across Mobius. With the near destruction of Robotropolis, he had relocated his operations to the former Overlander colony. The rebels had laid claim the earthquake-ravaged ruins, which was in the process of being rebuilt. Turning away from the grim-covered windows, the Chinchilla surveyed the interior of the Operations Room with her flaxen yellow eyes. Snively was nowhere to be found, instead the computer terminals were being manned by Decoe and Bocoe.

"Ah Thunderbolt," Eggman's booming voice declared, appearing in the doorway, "What brings you all the way from your territory at this hour?"

Turing in the direction of the voice, she found the egg-shaped dictator standing in the doorway, clad in a pink blanket-sleeper that was concealed beneath a white bathrobe.

"Lord Eggman," she said, greeting him with a respectful bow, "My forces made an interesting discovery while patrolling the Mystic Ruins; an area within my territory that is adjacent to the Pais Misterioso. I thought that you'd liked to be notified of this discovery."

"And what might that be?"

Thunderbolt immediately produced a crumbling stone tablet, offering it to the world-conquering scientist. Seizing it from her, Eggman carefully studied it, taking notice of the serpentine dragon that had been etched into the stone. At the same time, his bare fingers were carefully tracing the weathered Echidaese script.

"Hmm...very interesting," he conceded, "This appears to be a diagram of the amazing creature I have ever beheld-."

"Except for yourself, naturally," Thunderbolt interrupted, attempting to flatter the egg-shaped dictator.

Nonthreatening at a glance, the Chinchilla's diminutive and cutesy-looking appearance did little to convey her ruthlessness, or her sadistic tendencies for that matter. Compared to the conniving personalities of his other subordinates, her obsessive loyalty was a refreshing change of pace. She had even gone so far as to attire herself in an outfit that was vaguely reminiscent of one he had once worn.

"Decoe! Come and get this analyzed," he ordered.

Tall and thin, Deoce was the exact opposite of his counterpart; Bocoe, and had gold plating. Stepping away from the computer terminal, the hench-bot approached the pair and retrieved the tablet at the behest of his creator.

"Don't drop it," the doctor warned with a snarl.

Decoe immediately walked over to the multi-option analyzer; an overly large and complicated-looking machine, and placed it inside. Scanned and translated by the machine, the process took barely five minutes before a full translation was displayed on the computer's monitor.

 _"Translation complete, Dr. Eggman,"_ Decoe reported.

"Well!? What does it say, you dolt?" he demanded.

 _"The tablet speaks of a nomadic tribe of Echidnas who once settled in the Mystic Ruins. The tribe could only watch as the native inhabitants of that land, the benevolent Chao, worshipped their god - an entity comprised of living water; Perfect Chaos. Chaos unleashed its watery fury on the frightened Echidnas - until it was sealed within the Master Emerald."_

"Well...this is most interesting," Eggman admitted, stroking the ends of his mustache, "You did well to bring this to my attention, Thunderbolt."

"Thank you, Lord Eggman," the Chinchilla said.

"No. It is I who should be thanking you," he corrected, "The greatest living weapon imaginable will so be mine to control and command."

"What will you do now, Lord Eggman?"

"I'll be getting dressed and then we'll be heading for Soumerca," Eggman explained, "Decoe! Bocoe! Get to the Egg Carrier and prep it for launch."

 _"Why Soumerca?"_ questioned Decoe.

"Because, the Floating Island will reach the coast of the Mysterious Cat Country within a matter of days," he explained, "If we launch the Egg Carrier from the Final Egg it'll be easier to intercept that gravity-defying mudball."

"Oh...right, the Final Egg," Thunderbolt said, "About that..., construction has reached approximately 90% completion."

"Excellent. I knew that I could depend on you," the doctor praised, clapping his hands together, "Anything else to report?"

"We've noticed an increase of Felidae scouting parties in the area," she stated, doubting the relevancy.

"Unsurprising. It's not called the Mysterious Cat Country for nothing."

"But we have encountered something most unexpected; Overlanders."

"Overlanders?" Eggman questioned, genuinely surprised by the revelation.

While most of his kind had fallen under his rule following his conquest of his former homeland, some had followed his brother into space, seeking a new world to colonize. It was conceivable that some of his former kinsmen had fled to other parts of Mobius, ashamed of their defeat during the Great War. It was a defeat he had helped to orchestrate, after falsely pledging allegiance to the Kingdom of Acorn.

"Intriguing," Eggman admitted, "Perhaps there's a settlement down there somewhere."

"We've found infrastructure that supports that theory," Thunderbolt acknowledged, "But we have yet to locate the settlement in question."

"Well I certainly can't permit this city to remain free of my rule," Eggman declared, steepling his fingers, "Once Chaos is released from its crystalline prison, I'll destroy it and build my own atop its ruins."

"I'll order my troops to begin searching at once," announced the Chinchilla.

"Good. I expect you to be at the Egg Carrier's hanger in twenty minutes."

"And what exactly is this Egg Carrier that you speak of, Lord Eggman?" Thunderbolt inquired.

"Like the Wing Fortress, Flying Battery, and Sky Fortress before it, the Egg Carrier is a super multi-purpose giant fly battle fortress," he answered, his pridefulness coming to the surface.

 _"Except all those were eventually destroyed by Sonic,"_ Bocoe whispered to his companion.

"WHAT WAS THAT!?" Eggman demanded, having heard what had been said.

 _"NOTHING!"_ both hench-bots said in unison.

Without another word, Eggman whirled around and departed from the chamber, intent on gathering what could prove usefully for the journey ahead.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Discovery

Location: Knothole Village

Three days later...

* * *

Night had descended upon Westside Island, and the citizens of the Acorn Archipelago were beginning to head in for the evening. Nate Morgan was not one of those people, instead the dark-skinned Overlander was seated in front of his computer, trying to infiltrate the Egg Network. An exile of both the Overlanders and the Mobians, he would've been content to live out the rest of his days in self-imposed exile. During their pursuit of traitorous wizard Naugus, Sonic and Tails had stumbled across his abode in the Southern Tundra and brought conflict to his doorstep. Losing both his home and his friend Eddy, Nate had opted to end his exile and return to the Kingdom of Acorn. His arrival couldn't come soon enough, as the city was in dire need of reconstruction after Robotnik's decade-long rule and subsequent near destruction.

"Go away, Amy...," a voice mumbled, "...I'm not in the mood."

Nate turned in his seat and glanced at the lanky hedgehog with blue fur who currently slumbered on the couch. He had messy spines, with white gloves and red sneakers, both wrapped in white sports tape. The elderly Overlander shook his head in amusement at the hedgehog's failed attempt to stay up and watch late night television. The television remained on, and Comedy Chimp was already midway through his talk show. Reaching for the coffee mug that rested on the table, he drank a mouthful and nearly gagged on the cold liquid. Sighing to himself, Nate rose from his chair and headed for the kitchen to dump the contents down the drain. He put the kettle on, intent on preparing a cup of tea when Sonic suddenly appeared at the kitchen's island.

"Aren't you asleep yet, Nate? What's keeping you up?" Sonic asked, letting out a yawn, while stretching his stiff muscles.

"I'm trying to find a means of infiltrating Robotnik's computer network without having to be in the Metropolis Zone to interface."

"Way past cool..."

"What some Masala chai?" Nate asked with a sigh.

"Um...sure," Sonic replied.

Retrieving a package of black tea and spices from the cupboard, Nate began the process of mixing the ingredients.

"Ya know, I never understood why you chose to settle in Knothole instead of Mobotropolis."

"The Great War worsened the already poor relationship between our peoples," he explained, "I'd prefer to avoid as much of it as possible."

Despite being credited for helping to bringing the Kingdom out of the pre-industrial age, the diminutive Overlander still faced daily discrimination.

"I suppose Naugus didn't help matters," the hedgehog commented.

"Nor did Kodos."

The computer abruptly let out a beep and Nate immediately headed over, finding that the ICE Breaker had done its job. The security programs that his former assistant had installed had been penetrated, allowing him unrestricted access to the Eggnet. He quickly sifted through the numerous data files, discovering an audio transmission that caused his blood to run cold.

 _"The first wave has arrived at the Mystic Ruins and the excavation proceeds without delay. Your Excellency."_

Further his investigations, he found shipping manifests for equipment and construction material that had been dispatched to the Mysterious Cat Country, a region on Mobius' southern continent; Soumerca.

"Oh no...," the Overlander muttered, feeling that his worst fears had been confirmed.

It was located uncomfortably close to Station Square, a city that had become known in Mobian mythology as the Hidden City of the Ancients. Predating the first Days of Fury, the settlement had existed long before Overlanders or Mobians ruled the planet. He had known of the city's existence due to his participation with the Heritage Project, which had sought to reunite the Overlanders with their Human cousins. Station Square was just one of many cities to have been built in secret, led by a coalition government known as the United Federation. In order to preserve the safety of the other cities, any that was discovered was to perpetrate the lie that they were the only settlement left of the old world. Having visited the city during his globetrotting days, he knew that its citizens weren't prepared for the threat posed by the Eggman Empire. In the interest of preserving the city's secrecy, Nate had never revealed its existence to anyone. Now he realized that breaking his vow might be the only recourse in order to forewarn the citizens.

"Nate?" Sonic questioned, noticing his reaction.

Turning in his seat to face the hedgehog, Nate had a look of terror on his face that even Sonic himself found unnerving.

"We need to inform His Majesty immediately," he stated.

"Why? What's wrong?" the hedgehog demanded.

"Dr. Eggman...I think he might've discovered the Hidden City of the Ancients."

* * *

Location: Mobotropolis

Twenty minutes later...

* * *

Situated within the rolling landscape of the Royal Hills Zone, Mobotropolis served as the capital of the Acorn Archipelago. Rechristened Robotropolis under the rule of the Eggman Empire, it once again served as the kingdom's seat. Skidding across the cobblestone streets, Sonic beheld a city that was still being rebuilt. There were pallets of construction materials scattered about, and several of the buildings had scaffolding erected. The influence that Eggman had on the city was still very much evident, but every day it was becoming less apparent. Unable to keep up with the hedgehog, Nate followed a short while later, seated behind the controls of the Hang-On; a bike-type of Extreme Gear.

"Are you certain about this, Sonic?" the elderly Overlander asked, weary about barging in on the King at such an hour.

"You said it yourself: He'll wanna know about this pronto," Sonic answered.

Abandoning the Hang-On, the duo headed in the direction of Castle Acorn, encountering few residents along the way. Before they had even reached their destination, the pair discovered spotted King Acorn emerging from a nearby building alongside Admiral Beaverton. He was a squirrel with auburn hair that was slicked back and a thin moustache, while he was attired in clothing that conveyed his regal status.

"...And there he is. King Max! Your Highness! Sire!" Sonic called out, trying to get the monarch's attention.

"Eh? Sir Sonic?" he questioned, confused by his sudden appearance.

"This looks rather important, my dear chap," the Admiral stated "I best leave you to it."

"Sonic. Uncle Nate. What brings you at this hour?"

"Trouble...I think. Nate can explain it better then I can."

"I've discovered a shipping manifest for supplies and equipment being delivered to Soumerca," Nate began, "It leads me to believe that Robotnik may be close to discovering the location of the Hidden City of the Ancients."

"The Hidden City of the Ancients? I thought that was part of Mobian mythology?"

"So did I...until I visited during my globetrotting days. An unpolluted ecosystem like that needs protection from the world in general, but where Robotnik is concerned..."

"It requires much, much more," King Max finished, understanding what his uncle was attempting to convey, "I'm in total agreement, old friend. There's no telling what Dr. Eggman could be cooking up this time. The Hidden City needs to be forewarned. I would like you and the rest of the Freedom Fighters to depart first thing in the morning."

"We're on it, your highness. Uhh...is something wrong sire? You seem kinda out of it."

"I-I'm just worried about Eggman spreading his evil influence, Sonic," he answered, turning away.

It was a lie of course, what weighed heavily on his mind was his wife's deteriorating condition. Ever since she and Prince Elias had been returned to the kingdom, they had tirelessly searched for a cure, but to no avail.

"Yeah but..."

"You have quite a trip ahead, so I suggest you get a good night's rest," he said, ending any potential conversation.

"Why do I get the feel there's something he's not telling us," Sonic whispered to Nate.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Departure Time

Location: King Fredrick Airfield

Afternoon...

* * *

"Your sister appears to be the most carefree I've seen her in quite some time, Prince Elias," King Max stated, "Which is good. Sally will need to maintain her focus while she and her friends represent our kingdom on this journey."

The pair was standing within the shadow of the hanger at the airfield, watching as Sally and the other Freedom Fighters loaded supplies aboard the Freedom Fighter Special. Only Rotor wasn't present, as the Walrus was preoccupied with overseeing the reconstruction efforts. The De-Roboticizer had also been repaired, leading to hopes that they could begin restoring the Robians back into flesh and blood Mobians.

"Is that why you haven't told us that mother's illness has worsened?" Elias questioned.

During the height of the Great War, he had sent away Queen Alicia and Prince Elias to Angel Island for their protection. Their convoy had been intercepted by the Overlanders and communications had been lost, leading Maximillian to believe they had perished. Wishing to learn the truth, he had dispatched the reformed Secret Service to the floating island to learn what they could. It was discovered that several crew members had survived the crash, including the Prince. The Queen was another matter entirely, having suffered grievous injuries that required her to be placed in cryo-stasis. Though her body had healed, she had become dependent on the cold climate of the cryo-tube that had preserved her.

"W-Whatever do you mean, son?" Max asked, feigning surprise.

"There's no point in hiding the truth, father, I overheard Dr. Quack informing you of the bad news. Why on earth would you keep something like that a secret?"

"Perhaps I wished the Princess to have another week without worry, after all, the problem will still be here when she returns," stated the King, solemnly.

With nothing else to be said, the pair headed over to the group, catching snippets of the conversation that was going on.

"Tell us more, Nate," Bunnie urged, wanting to know more about the Hidden City.

She was a blonde-haired rabbit wore a pink one piece, the feet of her cybernetic legs resembling white and pink sneakers, while her right hand was covered in a white glove with pink trim.

"Well, the Hidden City of the Ancients is pretty much an industrialized society completely inhabited by a group of five-fingered Overlanders, not four, as is the usual case on Mobius."

"Five figures...," Tails muttered, looking at his hands, "Just like Sonic and me?"

The twin-tailed fox had on a pair of goggles pushed up onto his forehead, with a brown belt around his waist, and another one worn across his chest. His hands were covered with a pair of white miner's gloves, while his white and red sneakers were wrapped in white sports tape.

"I know it's difficult to believe, but that's just the tip of the iceberg," Nate stated.

"When you say 'Hidden City of the Ancients', I automatically came to the conclusion that it was somehow connected to the Ancients themselves," Amy stated, having spent time researching their civilization.

She was a pink-furred hedgehog was wearing a red one piece top with a purple sash wrapped around her waist, with larger rings and purple tape on her wrist, and purple stockings over her shoes.

"An understandable misconception. But I assure you, no connection exists between the Ancients and the inhabitants of the Hidden City."

Having been extinct for several millennia, the ruins of their civilization could be found practically everywhere.

"Maybe we should just call it the Hidden City or something else to avoid any further confusion," Sally suggested.

The Princess was dressed in a black, sleeveless crop-top worn beneath a closed blue vest, and black shorts, both with white rimming. Blue boots with white outlines on the buckles covered her feet, while white gloves with blue bangles covered he hands.

"Station Square then," Nate said, "It's what the city's actually called."

"You said that you had visited the city during your self-imposed exile, how long were you there for?" Elias asked.

"I spent six years living there. I was employed at Station Square University for those years."

"Know anyone who could assist us?" Bunnie asked.

"There is, but it's been such a long time that I don't know if he's alive or not."

"Are we ready to juice or what?" the hedgehog questioned, skidding to a stop near the runway.

"Are we ever," Sally declared, having moved to the waiting aircraft, "Goodbye, dad! Farewell, Elias! See you both real soon."

As the others boarded the Freedom Fighter Special, Sonic and Tails climbed aboard the Tornado, the hedgehog taking his place behind the pilot's seat. The Polikarpov model I-153 biplane had originally belonged to the hedgehog's grandfather; Maurice, but for years had been gathering dust within the family's garage. It wasn't until Eggman's abduction of the citizens of Christmas Island that Sonic dragged it out of storage, using it to reach the Acorn Archipelago. It brought back memories of when the hedgehog had first met Tails, when he had caught the young fox repainting the plane. Sonic could scarcely believe that had only been a mere four years ago.

"Hidden City, here we come! C'mon Tails, let's see what the Tornado can do," Sonic declared.

"With the Chaos Emerald as a power source, the Tornado can do a lot," Tails stated.

With engines roaring, the Freedom Fighter Special and the Tornado took off down the tarmac, rising into the cloud-filled sky.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: City of Dreams

Location: Soumerca

Later that day...

* * *

Sally glanced around the passenger cabin of the Freedom Fighter Special, her gaze shifting to the rabbit-girl seated next to Amy. A former resident of the Baronies, Cream had wanted to assist the Freedom Fighters. Stowing away onboard the vessel, she hadn't been discovered until they had already arrived in the southern hemisphere. With time being of the essence and Robotnik already having several days head start, it too late to turn around and return her to the capital. Their only option had been to radio back to Mobotropolis, alerting them to what had transpired.

"We should be nearing the Hidden City," Nate announced, rising to his feet.

The other Mobians quickly got to their feet, and followed Nate's lead in heading for the front of the aircraft.

Filing into the cockpit, they found Bunnie and Antoine were inside, serving as pilot and co-pilot respectively. Grabbing the microphone of the cb radio, Nate pressed one of the buttons and spoke into it.

"Sonic...Tails...Do you read me?" Nate asked.

"We here you, Nate," Tails said, his voice cracked through the speaker.

"What's up?" Sonic asked, shouting over the wind.

"It should be directly ahead of us...through that dense bank of clouds," the Overlander informed.

Sally stared through the cockpit window, watching as a dark silhouette suddenly became visible with each passing second.

"Whaddaya...? YE-OW! WHAT ON MOBIUS IS THAT!?" Sonic cried out, a mountain suddenly coming into view.

The mountain was partially jungle covered, with some kind of telecommunication unit built into its side. Amongst the slopes was what appeared to be a airliner, one that had become covered in vines in the centuries that had followed.

"It is my theory that the crashed aircraft imbedded in that mountainside originally transported the Hidden City's inhabitants to this locale on or before the first Days of Fury, at a time before Mobians and Overlanders ruled the planet," Nate explained.

Bunnie pushed the Freedom Fighter Special forward, overtaking the blue bi-plane and leading it to an opening in the mountainside.

"Stranded as they were, those ancestral Overlanders sought refuge inside this newly created fissure. Little did they suspect that they had discovered this secret entrance-way, one that becomes more narrow the further one travels," the Overlander continued, "Tails' bi-plane should have no problem bridging the gap, but the rest of us will have to rely on a more conventional mode of conveyance to take us to the tunnels end."

Landing the Freedom Fighter Special on the floor of the tunnel, Sally and the others disembarked. Tails wasn't comfortable with taking the Tornado to the end of the tunnel, and so he too landed the aircraft. A mining cart was waiting for them as they disembarked, only for the group to board the alternate means of traversing the tunnel. The ride lasted no more then five minutes, the group knowing they were close to the end when Nate no longer needed to use a flashlight to illuminate their path.

"And here we are," Nate declared, disembarking and moving to the opening in the tunnel.

Spread out before them was a city not unlike the Metropolis Zone, but thankfully it lacked Eggman's sinister influence.

"Oh mah stars," Bunnie cried out in shock.

"Like, wow!" Sonic added.

"Freedom Fighters, behold...the Hidden City of the Ancients!"

* * *

Location: Station Square

One hour later...

* * *

Having been isolated from the outside world, Sally could understand the reaction that she and her fellow Mobians were receiving. She couldn't help shake the feeling that openly wondering the streets had been a mistake, one would inevitably led to trouble.

"Amy, are you listening to me?" Nate asked, pulling Sally from her thoughts, "I asked what you thought of Station Square, an underground city with an artificial environment?"

"Well...I...uhh," Amy began.

"I can tell ya, Nate, it's way past cool," Sonic interrupted.

"But what now?" questioned Tails.

"Tails is right," Sally stated, "If Eggman is indeed a threat to these unsuspecting Overlanders, then we've got to inform the proper authorities."

"I am finding myself in agreement with ze Preenzess," Antoine commented

"Ditto, Antoine, but ah don't think we got too far to go. Look!" Bunnie said.

Without warning, a trio of squad cars and a police helicopter arrived on the scene, its spotlight falling upon the group.

"You said it, Bunnie. Looks like they've found us," Nate sighed.

"Miss. Amy, I'm scared," Cream whimpered, protectively grabbing for the pink hedgehog's arm.

"PLACE YOUR HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEADS AND DON'T MAKE ANY SUDDEN MOVES!"

"No can do, 'Sudden Moves' is my middle name," Sonic declared.

"Wait! Hold on just a moment!" Nate cried out, rushing forward in an attempt to prevent a confrontation.

"At ease officers, I recognize this guy; it's my old pal, Nate Morgan," one of the officers stated.

The elderly Overlander cocked an eyebrow in surprise, requiring a moment before recognizing the officer.

"Officer Albright?"

"What brings you back to town after all these years, old-timer? And what's with these pets?" he asked.

"These aren't pets, they're allies," he corrected, "Why don't I let Princess Sally explain?"

"My name is Sally Acorn," she said, stepping forward and introducing herself, "My father, Maximillian Acorn of the Kingdom of Acorn has sent us here as emissaries."  
"You can speak?" one of the other officers questioned, surprise in his voice.

"Ever since I was eight-months-old, but more importantly, we've come to warn you of a potential threat to your city."

"Sounds like serious business to me, uhh...ma'am," Officer Albright admitted, "If what you're saying is true, the Mayor will have to be notified. However, since it's so late and you travelled so far, it'd probably be better if you all spent the evening resting up, and I know just the place."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Relaxation

Location: Station Square

Thirty minutes later...

* * *

Situated along the Emerald Coast, the hotel was something that the Freedom Fighters hadn't experienced. Located near the local train station, making getting around the city a breeze. Emerging from three patrol cars, the Mobians were ushered inside by Officer Albright. Entering the lobby, they discovered that it was far more auspicious then they expected. With many of them having grown up in a forest hideaway, they were used to not having that much room. On the other hand, the inhabitants of the Hidden City seemed to favour buildings that had an overly excessive amount of space.

"Welcome to the...Station Square Hotel!?" the concierge announced, his greeting bumbled when he spotted the group of anthropomorphic animals.

"Thanks, dude! Howzabout a plate o' chili dogs to the Executive Suite?" Sonic requested.

Sally shot the hedgehog a disapproving glare, but it went unnoticed by the juvenile delinquent.

Officer Albright approached the desk and conversed with the concierge, likely trying to secure them rooms. Though they possessed Mobiums, the Princess had her doubt that they would suffice. The city would most likely pay for their needs during the duration of their stay, but she wasn't about to assume.

"The manager is coming to meet with you," Officer Albright announced, upon returning to the group.

While they waited, she scanned the cavernous lobby, discovering that those Overlanders that were present had stopped whatever they were doing. She had never had to worry about being the center of attention before, but it would be something to get used to.

"Greetings," a voice said, drawing her attention, "I'm the manager."

Flanked by a pair of bellhops, an immaculately dressed man with dark hair stood before them. He was rubbing his hands together, appearing to relish the opportunity to impress his unlikely guests.

"Thank you for selecting our hotel. I've taken the liberty of having the Executive Suites prepared for you."

"Now we're talking," the hedgehog said.

"We've got a restaurant on the top floor for you dining pleasure and we're within walking distance of attractions such as Twinkle Park and the newly opened Thorndyke Crest Casino."

"I doubt will be visiting the casino," Sally said, "Only three of us are legally old enough to gamble."

The manager gave his head a nod, gesturing with his right hand towards the nearby elevators.

"If you'll please follow me, we can go ahead and get you settled."

As the bellhops took their bags, Officer Albright bid the group farewell, needing to return to his patrol route.

* * *

Location: Station Square Hotel

Three hours later...

* * *

Stepping out onto the balcony, Sonic was greeted to a picturesque view of the Sapphire Sea. Across the waters was Hotel de Blanc, another luxury resort that was still under construction. Hearing the sliding door being opened, the hedgehog turned to see Tails exited their suite.

"Sure is something," the fox commented, draping his arms over the railing.

"You're telling me. Reminds me of the Metropolis Zone."

"Glad I wasn't the only one to notice that."

"This town seems pretty peaceful, hate for Eggman to find it," Sonic said.

"He's bound to be hiding somewhere. If he really has found this city as Nate fears then he won't stay quiet for long."

"Eggman's nothing, if not predictable."

"And for that, we're fortunate."

"When'd Sal say we should meet for dinner?"

Turning away from the balcony, Tails peered into their shared hotel suite and the digital clock resting on the nightstand. It was nearing nine in the evening, with exactly ten minutes remaining before their scheduled meet-up.

"It's about that time."

Heading back indoors, the pair then made their way towards the door and stepped out into the hallway. They were met by Bunnie and Antoine, the latter having chosen to dress himself in a suit. His normal attire was a crimson version of the Royal Guard uniform, of which he was a member. Born into a subsidiary noble family from Mercia, he had been sent away from his homeland as part of an Apprentice Exchange program.

"Howdy, y'all," Bunnie greeted.

"Hiya, Aunt Bunnie."

"Ze other have already left," Antoine stated.

"Then we'd best not keep them waiting," Sonic announced.

The quartet headed in the direction of the elevator, riding it to the top floor where the restaurant was located. The five star dining establishment was a hive of activity, and the others were already waiting for them.

"There you are," Sally said, directing her attention to Sonic.

"Sorry. Was just enjoying the view."

With them all present, Nate approached the Maître d' who was overseeing the reception area. He was a tall man with a pencil-thin moustache and greasy black hair, dressed in a black pin-striped suit and a red tie.

"Good evening," the Overlander greeted, "Will you be dining with us tonight?"

"Yes. Could we get a table for eight, please," Nate requested.

"Of course. Please follow me."

The Maître d' led them to a private dining area, one that would provide them with plenty of privacy. The group seated themselves around a large table, having a menu placed in front of them.

"I'll have the waiter sent over momentarily."

As the Maître d' departed, the group busied themselves with give the menu a quick review.

"What!? No chili dogs?" Sonic announced, clearly bummed out.

"Uncle Nate," Sally began, ignoring the hedgehog, "You said that you knew someone here that could assist us."

"Yes. Professor Charles Thorndyke," he answered.

"Thorndyke? Didn't the manager mention a casino with that name?" Tails commented.

"The Thorndyke Crest, I do remember," Amy stated, "But why would a professor have a casino?"

"The Thorndykes are a wealth family. Charles' son was the CEO of his own company last I was here."

"And you think he'll be able to assist us?"

"I know he can..., provided that he's still alive. Tomorrow I'll contact operator assistance and see if I can get a hold of him."

"Hello," a voice greeted, attracting the attention of the Freedom Fighters.

She was a young woman, dressed in a uniform that indicated that she would be their waitress.

"Are you ready to order?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Menace to Society

Location: Station Square

Later that night...

* * *

The moon hung full over the city, projected by the convex holographic panels that lined the inside the cavern. If not for first-hand knowledge, Sonic would never have believed that the city was completely underground. The others were relaxing back at the hotel, but not he, not when there was an entire city out there for him to explore. Leaping from the rooftops of the closely spaced buildings, the hedgehog was having the time of his life.

 _"This town is awesome,"_ Sonic thought to himself, _"Nothing like Knothole or Mobotropolis. I feel like my favorite comic book adventure heroes...The Rush..., the Dark Bat..., and Super Surfer, all rolled into one."_

Sliding down an angled rooftop, Sonic dropped down to the busy sidewalks below, startling several pedestrians. He realized his error almost immediately, as the next thing he knew he had been surrounded by two police officers.

"What is that thing?" the officer asked.

"Looks like a big hedgehog," his partner replied.

"A blue hedgehog?"

"Well, whatever it is, we better get it out of here. Hey, buddy. Wanna ride with us down to the station?"

"Should I call for backup?"

"I have three kitty cats at home. I think I can handle this little fella."

The officer then began to imitate kissing noises, which prompted Sonic to cross his arms in annoyance.

"Did you see that? That thing's got an attitude. A bad one."

"Yeah? Well he won't get away from me!" he growled, lunging at the hedgehog.

Sonic easily sidestepped the attempt, incensing the law enforcement officer with his juvenile antics.

"Why you little!" the officer growled, brandishing his nightstick.

"Take it easy. I think we can handle this without getting rough," another voice stated.

A mustachioed sergeant had arrived on the scene, followed by another officer, likely his partner.

"Yeah, but sarge..."

"Duffy, get behind him."

"Right sarge," said the partner.

"Okay, now when I say the word, we're all going to jump into him at once. Alright then, is everyone ready? LET'S DO IT!"

All four officers lunged at him, piling on top of one another in an attempt to pin him to the ground.

"I have its leg!" one of the officers yelled.

"Here too! I got an arm!" declared another.

"All right! One the count to three. One. Two. Three!" ordered the sergeant.

The police officers pulled with all their might, while failing to realize that they had succeeded was grabbing one another. Watching them collapse in a heap on the ground from atop a nearby car, Sonic could only shrug his shoulders in embarrassment at the display.

"What the heck were you doing?" one of the officer's shouted.

"Where's the hedgehog!?"

The hedgehog was about to make his getaway, but a net suddenly descended upon him.

"I caught it!" another officer declared.

Sonic launched himself into the run, dragging the officer with him, while the other officers grabbed a hold of him. There bold attempt at capturing him lasted only briefly, as Sonic leapt over a swerving police cruiser, sending the officers in through the open driver-side window. The Sergeant immediately seized the microphone of the radio and issued an All-Points Bulletin.

"Attention all units! Attention all units! A blue hedgehog is headed north on Central Street. Shut down all thoroughfares that lead into and out of Station Square and set up a roadblock just before the on-ramp to 101!"

* * *

Location: Station Square

That same time...

* * *

Driving along the quiet highway, officers Wachowski and Whipple couldn't help but share a laugh. Their colleagues clearly had a wild imagination, believing that a hedgehog was running about.

"I've never seen a blue hedgehog before, have you?" Whipple asked.

"It must've been one of those fancy sports cars. Hey, if we catch it, maybe the captain will let us drive it," his partner chuckled, hands behind his head.

"I bet it has one of those cute little hood ornaments that looks like a hedgehog."

The two police officers could only watch in disbelief as Sonic suddenly landed on the hood of their car.

 _"Geez, Sal gonna have a fit,"_ Sonic sighed, leaping off the vehicle and tearing off down the road.

"Just now...how many kilometers...? If I'm not mistaken..."

"One hundred kilometers per hour...," the driver replied.

"Is that so..."

From the sky, a police helicopter circled around the highway of the underground metropolis, seeking the hedgehog in question.

"What? The patrols couldn't stop it? How can it run like that!?" the pilot complained.

"Isn't that it?" his co-pilot asked.

"Visual contact. Subject's headed north on the Central Street extension. About a mile and a half from the entrance to the 101."

 _"Roger! Patrol 80-5-5, the target is in your area,"_ headquarters reported.

 _"Don't you worry. This hedgehog can't get under us, around us or through us. We'll stop him!_

Up ahead the highway had been encased with a massive roadblock full of S.S.P.D. cruisers, heavy construction vehicles, and barricades. They watched as the hedgehog approached the roadblock, miraculously jumped so high that he easily cleared the entire collection of vehicles. He landed on the other side of the barricade and sped away, acting like it was nothing. The patrolman's voice came over the radio mere moments later, his confidence having evaporated.

 _"Well, he didn't get under us, around us or through us,"_ the officer laughed.

"Ah, they're gonna love this down at headquarters," said the chopper pilot, "Ah, Delta 1 to base. I'm afraid that roadblock didn't work."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Kindred Spirits

Location: S.S.P.D. Headquarters

That same time...

* * *

 _"Ah, Delta 1 to base. I'm afraid that roadblock didn't work."_

"No! Don't tell me he got through," the dark-haired Intel Officer asked.

 _"Okay."_

Letting out a groan, he turned in his seat and looked at the ginger-haired man dressed in a red and white racing outfit. His name was Sam Speed, and he was the Capitan of Station Square's high-speed pursuit unit - the S-Team.

"Ugh, bad news."

"Don't worry. I think we've got what it takes to round up our furry little friend. Speed Team, get ready to roll!"

Exiting the operations room, he stepped into the hallway and was joined by four other members of the unit. Entering into the garage, they found that their Formula-One dragsters were receiving last minute maintenance.

"What's the temperature of the road surface tonight?" Sam asked the mechanic working on his vehicle.

"It's about 70 degrees and dry as a bone," he answered, turning around.

"Light breeze from the west?"

"Almost nothing."

"Road, pitted or smooth?"

"Nice and smooth."

"Then, let's see...," he said, slipping on a white balaclava, "Give me the 5 groove medium-soft."

"Here you go," another mechanic said, rolling the wheel over.

As the other mechanics began attaching the tires onto the car, Sam slipped his helmet over his head and slip into the cockpit. Locking the steering wheel into place, he found himself approached by one of the technicians.

"I programmed gears 5 and 6 to freeway speed," he stated, leaning into the vehicle.

"Great."

"Oh, and I filled that secret fuel tank on your car just like you asked me to."

"Good work."

 _"Chief, they last spotted the subject in mile 79 on 101 north,"_ reported the Intel officer.

"Roger. Alright team, let's move out!"

Lowering the canopy, he activated the light and slowly pressed down on the accelerator. Taking the lead, his comrades followed him out of the garage, sirens blaring as they pulled out onto the street.

* * *

Location: Highway 101

Fifteen minutes later...

* * *

Sitting atop a lamp post, Sonic gazed up at the night sky, the authorities having seemingly called off the chase. Common sense would've dictated that he retreat back to the Station Square Hotel, but he loathed to admit that he needed a moment to catch his breath.

"The sky looks the same," he marvelled, "So do the stars and the moon."

Leaping down from his perch, the hedgehog was about to hit the road once more, when he heard the sirens of five approaching Formula-One police cars. He watched with slight amusement as one of the men climbed out of the cockpit of his vehicle.

"Hi there! You're a hard hog to keep up with," the man said.

Sonic wasn't interested in chatting with the lawman, instead turning away with the intention of leaving.

"Hey, hold on! We don't get such fast company very often. In fact, I'm glad you showed up. This place is way too peaceful," he stated.

The man who was casually leaning against the side of his car when the hedgehog looked back, watching as he removed the white balaclava that covered his head. He was young, late twenties, with short red hair that had been parted to the left side of his face.

"Over the last 12 months, I've only made one arrest. Some joker got it into his head that he was a hot-shot driver. Had his own Formula-One car and everything. I guess he thought he give it a run for my money. But it was all over in a minute. Took me longer than that to suit up!"

Sonic couldn't help but smirk in amusement, finding the lawman's enjoyment of speed respectable.

"He never had a chance. Of course it's our own fault, this town's dull mainly because of us. You see, we're the high-speed pursuit unit, the S-Team. And I'm the leader of the team. They call me the 'Highway Star'. So even if you think you're the fastest thing around, think again!"

Without warning, the remaining Formula-One cars revved their engines, prompting Sonic to tear off down the highway.

"Run fast, hedgehog! I wanna be the one to catch you!"

With the highway deserted of all traffic, Sonic could really let loose, but so could the members of the pursuing S-Team.

"So you wanna play tag? This should be interesting!" chuckled the hedgehog as he poured on the speed.

"It's accelerating! Boost your rear-wing A to 20 degrees!" Aaron reported.

 _"Roger,"_ acknowledged his team members.

"Well, well, well! It's starting to look like the rush hour!" Sonic commented, watching the vehicles attempt to box him in, "Oh no, how will I ever escape?"

"Where is he? Did I run him over?" Simon demanded.

Hearing a knock on his window, Simon turned to in time to witness the hedgehog bolt past. Unable to see him, he looked up to find him standing on the hood of his car.

"Huh? Hey you! This is dangerous! It's irresponsible! What happens if kids start trying this?"

Realizing that he had a point, Sonic promptly dismounted from the vehicle and tore off down the road.

"You're not gonna treat the S-Team like chumps! We'll teach you a lesson! Boost all wings .5 degrees and let's get this guy!" Hector ordered.

 _"_ _Roger!"_

"Full throttle! Huh?!"

Hector's confidence quickly evaporated upon seeing Sonic running backwards, smirk on his face and arms crossed.

" _What the-? How can-? It's playing with us!"_ Hector roared at the indignity.

" _Where did this thing come from?"_ questioned Lynch.

" _Chief, you gotta do something!"_

"Playtime is now officially over! Attention all units, open the center line!" Sam ordered, his teammates complying, "I didn't think I had to do this but I have no choice. I will NOT have anybody, faster than me, on my highway!"

Activating the Super Nitro, the vehicle rocketing past those of the other S-Team members, nearly mowing down Sonic in the process.

"The only way you can beat me now is if he goes supersonic!" Sam declared.

With his vehicle reaching well over 500 km/h, Sam was confident that he had beaten the hedgehog, that was until he zipped right past him at supersonic speeds.

"A sonic boom! He's moving faster than the speed of sound!"

" _Chief, you're running out of road!"_ he heard Hector warn.

Slamming on the breaks, Sam deployed the emergency chutes, watching as Sonic launched himself right off the highway.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Encounter

Location: Station Square

Evening...

* * *

Sent sailing across Station Square's skyline, Sonic beheld the majestic beauty of the city. It wasn't the natural beauty that Mobian settlements were typically known for, rather it was one that was artificial.

"Maybe this place isn't so bad," he said, "At least I know somebody who I can have fun with!"

His momentum had carried him over a residential district, but it was at that moment that he suffered a rapidly decrease. Looking towards the ground, he found that he was passing directly above a large swimming pool.

"Huh? A-a pool? Uh, oh?!" he gulped.

Despite his best efforts, it was too late to redirect his route and was sent plummeting towards the ground. Sonic let out a cry, but was silenced when his body made contact with the surface of the water. The force of the impact unleashed a pillar of water into the air, disturbing the tranquility of the night. It felt like he had just collided with a concrete wall, but thankfully he was more durable then the average Mobian. He had all those Power Rings to thank, their energy having altered his physiology to a degree. Settling to the bottom of the pool, the hedgehog began a desperate escape attempt, but his lack of swimming skills proved to be problematic. Running was also impossible, as he couldn't get the traction necessary to get himself moving. Hearing the sound of something plunging into the water, Sonic looked up to see someone swimming towards him. It individual was silhouetted against the pool lights, his hand outstretched in an attempt to save him. He seized him by the wrist and pulled, dragging him up to the surface. His saviour was a ginger-haired youth clad in powder-blue pajamas, which had become saturated by water.

"Are you all right?" the boy asked, once Sonic had coughed up his share of the pool water.

"Yeah. Thanks."

"You...can speak?"

"I can do a lot of things."

"Wow! You...You really speak! I...I'm Chris. And you? What's your name?" he introduced.

"Sonic! My name is Sonic the Hedgehog!"

* * *

Location: Station Square Hotel

The next morning...

* * *

Nate emerged from his room and stepped out into the hallway, finding it vacant of guests. It wasn't all that surprising, it was still early in the morning and people simply hadn't yet risen for the day. Despite that, the diminutive Overlander had a reason for being awake, one that would hopefully make their mission easier. Heading for the elevator, Nate rode it down to the lobby and made a beeline for the reception desk. The young woman was manning the desk immediately looked up when he approached, a smile appearing on her face.

"Good morning," she greeted, "How can I help you?"

"Is there somewhere I can make a private call? The one in my suite appears to be broken," he explained.

"There's one in the lounge," she replied, "I'll let maintenance know of the issue with your room's telephone."

"Thank you," Nate said, as he headed in the direction of the lounge.

As he stepped into the lounge area, he found that it was occupied by a handful of people. There was also a bar, but it was closed as no one in their right mind would be drinking at such an hour. Finding the phone he was looking for, he took a seat and picked up the receiver, pressing the 0 button on the keypad.

"Operator Assistance, how can I help you?" a woman's voice asked as she came on the line.

"Yes, I'm trying to reach a friend of mine, but it's been a while and I'm not sure that he's even still alive or still living in the area," he explained.

"Of course..., may I have the name?"

"Charles Thorndyke."

"Let's see..., I've got a Charles Thorndyke living at a residence in Silky Heights," she stated.

"That'll be him. Can I get the number please?" he asked.

"Do you have a pen and paper on hand?"

Nate quickly glanced around, finding both a pen and paper resting atop a nearby table.

"Yes, I've got some," he replied.

"Alright, the number is..."

It was the exact same number that he remembered, but since he hadn't been in Station Square for decades any number of things could have changed.

"Thank you very much. Have a good day."

Nate immediately hung up the phone, and contemplated calling the number, however it was common courtesy not to call someone before nine. Rising to his feet, the Overlander was about to return to his room when something on the television caught his attention. It had been set to SSTV and was broadcasting the morning news, which unfortunately had a certain blue hedgehog being the topic of the day.

 _"_ _The supersonic Speed demon seen here on police helicopter video has the city baffled,"_ the unseen journalist reported, the video switching over to a police officer.

 _"It was about this high, it was blue and it looked like a freak!"_ he explained, the video again switching.

 _"I was doing about 60 when this thing went 'wooo' right by me!"_ stated a random citizen, the screen once again changing.

 _"That thing moved too fast to be a regular animal!"_ said another citizen.

The screen changed once more, displaying a spectacled-man of Asian heritage, with the name Dr. Kai Narasu appearing beneath his image. He was holding a monkey in his arms, though the primate was engrossed in playing around with the scientist's glasses.

 _"As to the question of whether this is a UMA, Unidentified Mutant Animal, it is positively not. Even the cheetah, which is widely believed to be the fastest member of the animal kingdom cannot outrun a speeding Formula-One police car. Because of this 'thing', in an inescapable conclusion one must inevitably come to is that this so-called 'hedgehog' is a reality of a machine."_

"Oh good heavens...," Nate groaned, realizing that he was going to have to make that call after all.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Greetings

Location: Thorndyke Residence

That same time...

* * *

Sonic sat on the couch in the living room, his previous night's antics having made the morning news. He grabbed a handful of crisps sitting in a bowl, a far better meal choice then the cat food that Chris had tried to offer him earlier, or the crickets. The door to the living room was abruptly thrown open and an older man with wild grey hair barged in.

"There you are!" he said to the boy, "Guess what?! A big, blue hedgehog came out of nowhere and outran the S-Team yesterday!"

"Duh...umm...," he began when the pair suddenly locked eyes.

Letting out a cry, Chris grabbed a nearby pillow and slammed it down on top of the hedgehog.

"Hey, cut it out, I can't breathe!" Sonic complained, shoving the pillow off of himself.

"Blue. Just like that- ahhh...it's him!" the older man cried out, seizing the hedgehog in his arms.

"Easy, grandpa!"

The hedgehog didn't like that at all, and tried unsuccessfully to squirm free of the man's grasp.

"Grandpa, what are you doing?!" the boy cried out when he suddenly brandished a screwdriver.

"I have to see how this thing is put together!"

Sonic nearly burst out laughing when the screwdriver made contact with his back, prompting him to shove away with the strength that he could muster. He launched himself to the opposite side of the coffee table, using the piece of furniture as a makeshift barrier.

"Well!? STAND STILL!" the man demanded.

"Grandpa, wait. He's not a machine. He's Sonic the Hedgehog!"

The older man was about to open his mouth, but the ringing of the telephone promptly distracted him from the hedgehog.

"Hello?" he asked, answering it.

"Is this Charles Thorndyke?"

"Speaking."

"It's Nate Morgan. We worked together at the University."

"Ah yes, I do remember. How are you?"

"I'm fine, but I'm in need of your assistance," Nate stated.

"How can I help?"

"There's an immediate threat to the city. My allies and I have come to notify the government, but we're going to need assistance in doing so."

"I understand. Where are you?"

"The hotel at the Emerald Coast..., I hate to intrude, but..."

"Say no more," Chuck said, "I'll inform Nelson. I don't see any reason why he would refuse."

"There's one other thing..., one of my companions appears to have garnered some unwanted attention overnight and I've no idea where he might be."

"Is he a blue hedgehog?" he asked, garnering the hedgehog's attention.

"You've seen the news then?"

"He's standing in my living room with my grandson," Chuck answered.

"Oh thank goodness. I had feared the worse."

"Alright, thanks for calling. We'll swing by to pick you up in about three hours. How many are with you?"

"There's eight of us, and thank you, Charles."

Chuck immediately hung up the phone, his wisteria-coloured eyes now focused solely upon the blue hedgehog.

"Seems you aren't a member of some mutant species developed by an enemy power designed to attack our population," he announced, "That was Nate, he's explained that you've come to warn us about some threat to the city."

"You're the one that Nate was talking," Sonic said.

"We were colleagues at the University of Station Square," he answered, "He spent six years living here before he left to continue his journey."

"Alright then," the hedgehog said, his guard slowly relaxing.

"Good. Sorry about earlier, I can get a bit...overzealous at times."

"Apology accepted..., I guess."

"Excellent," he said, clapping his hands together.

* * *

Location: Station Square

Three hours later...

* * *

Gathering outside the hotel, the Freedom Fighters were now awaiting the arrival of Nate's former colleague. Despite the Hidden City's climate being artificially controlled, Sally thought that it was higher then 70°F.

"I can't believe Sonic," the Princess fumed, "What the hell was he thinking?"

"Calm down, Sally-girl," Bunnie urged, "We were only here for a couple o'hours."

"Exactly! And he turned around and stirred up trouble with the local authorities."

"Their reaction is completely reasonable," Nate stated, "There wasn't enough time for word of our arrival to get around."

Conceding with the elderly Overlander statement, she turned to watch as a limousine suddenly pull up to the curb. Emerging from the vehicle was an elderly man, followed by a boy who appeared to be twelve. Sonic was the last to emerge, making sure to avoid the disapproving glare of the Princess. The authorities had still been conducting their manhunt of him, called off only because of Chuck's government connections.

"Nathaniel, it's good to see you again," Chuck greeted, stepping forward.

"And you as well, Charles."

"My name's Christopher. Sonic landed in our swimming pool last night and I dove in and saved him," the boy stated.

"My name's Tails and I'm Sonic's very best buddy! Right, Sonic?"

"Correct," replied the hedgehog.

"My name is Cream and this is my very special Chao friend, Cheese."

"I'm Amy Rose."

"Ah'm Bunnie D'Coolette, and this here is mah husband, Antoine."

"Bonjour," the coyote greeted.

"Sally Acorn, I'm here representing my father; King Maximillian of the Acorn Archipelago."

"It's very nice to meet all of you. I have a feeling that we are going to become really good friends. Oh and this is my grandfather."

"Nate, this threat you mentioned, is it credible?"

"Indeed, my old friend," Nate confirmed.

"Then you can explain more on the way back to the mansion."

Agreeing with the elderly Overlander, the Freedom Fighters piled into the vehicle with their bags.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Relocation

Location: Station Square

Ten minutes later...

* * *

Heading along the traffic-filled thoroughfare, the mood within the interior of the limousine had grown sombre.

"Over the past ten years, my former laboratory assistant has managed to spread his evil influence across most of the globe," Nate began, finally breaking the prolonged silence, "I recently discovered that he's been excavating parts of the Mystic Ruins for some unknown reason."

"That's not good," Chris commented.

"During the Great War between the Kingdom of Acorn and the Overland, he defected and swore fealty to my father. He weaselled his way into became one of my father's advisors, serving in the position of Warlord," Sally added, "Following the war, he staged a coup against him and took over our capital, which up until a year ago, was still under his control."

"Who is this person that you speak of?" Chuck asked.

"He was born as Julian Kintobor, but changed his name to Dr. Ivo Robotnik," the diminutive Overlander explained.

"But we all just call him Dr. Eggman," Sonic stated, flashing a mischievous grin.

"Based on what you've described," Chuck stated, crossing his arms, "This Eggman character isn't someone to be taken lightly."

"Eggman's a grade A jerk," Bunnie announced, raising her mechanical left arm, "Ah'm this way because of him."

"I was curious...," the elderly Overlander said before trailing off.

"Eggman stole a device called the Roboticizer, my uncle designed it for medical purposes, but Buttnik uses it to enslave the population. Turning them into mindless robots that serve him

Another silence descended upon the interior of the limousine, broken only when Sally spoke.

"As you can see he's impacted countless lives."

"So you've been fighting against this Dr. Eggman for the past ten years?" Chris asked.

"It's only been four years since we actively started fighting back against the Eggman Empire. It was Sonic who inspired us to oppose him."

"Trashing Eggman's operations on South Island was fun."

"Only after he strip-mined most of the island for the material needed to construct the Death Egg."

"But I did keep the Chaos Emeralds out of his grasp," he reminded.

"Chaos Emeralds?" Chris questioned.

"You've never heard of the Chaos Emeralds?" Tails questioned, "Boy, you really do have a lot to learn, don't ya!"

"Each Chaos Emerald is filled with a magical power. So you could imagine what would happen if you found all seven of 'em," Amy explained.

"I was hoping you'd be able to use you government connections and get us a meeting with the mayor," Nate said, trying to steer the conversation back to the topic at hand.

"I've got a contact inside City Hall," Chuck stated, "I'll see if they can schedule a meeting with Mayor Bullyani."

The vehicle entered into the city suburbs, the buildings became more residential and less business.

"Mister Thorndkye, we've arrived," announced the dark-haired chauffeur.

"Thank you, Tanaka."

The vehicle passed through the gates of a luxurious-looking mansion, its sprawling grounds making the courtyard of Castle Acorn look tiny. There was a fountain positioned within the front yard, the sunlight glistening off its surface.

"Whoa! You live here?" Amy asked, turning her attention to Chris.

"It's nothing...really," the boy replied, trying to downplay the extravagance.

Pulling to a stop outside the front of the building, the group was greeted by a heavyset woman in a blue dress and an apron. She had burnt sienna skin and curly brown hair, while she appeared to have gone overboard with the lipstick.

"Hola!" she greeted, as the Freedom Fighters disembarked from the limousine.

"This is our housekeeper Ella," Chuck introduced, "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

The group introduced themselves, and were promptly led into the interior of the overly large building. The interior was even more grandiose, with marble floor tiles and a pair of staircases that caved up to the second floor. Suspended above them was a large chandler, it numerous crystals glistening in the light.

"This place makes that hotel look cozy by comparison," Tails whispered to Sally.

As someone who dwelled in a castle, the chipmunk couldn't help but nod her head in agreement. Though Nate had explained to them that the Thorndykes were a wealthy family, nothing could've prepared her for just how wealth they were.

"You must all be hungry," Ella said, "I've prepared my special chilli soup if anyone's interested."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Sally admitted.

It was already past twelve in the afternoon, and hunger was beginning to affect those present.

"Excelente, please follow me."

Placing their bags on the floor to be moved into rooms at a later time, the group was led into the dining room. A large wooden table dominated the space, with another chandler hanging above it.

"Golly, this dining room is bigger then our whole house," Bunnie whisper to her husband.

Seated themselves, Ella and Tanaka quickly disappeared into the kitchen, returning minutes later with several steaming bowls.

"Thank you, Ms. Ella," Cream said.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Landfall

Location: Mystic Ruins

Afternoon...

* * *

A burly red echidna trekked through the dense jungle, trying to locate the scattered shards of the Master Emerald. Over the past several weeks, Angel Island had experienced numerous changes, the most drastic of which saw the restoration of the lost city of Echidnaopolis onto the island. Knuckles had attempted to take it all in stride, but he longed for the days when guarding the Master Emerald was his only priority.

 _"_ _I saw his ship head in this general direction, but I don_ _'_ _t see any sign of either it or Eggman,_ _"_ the echidna thought.

The egg-shaped scientist had attacked the island over night, destroying the Chaos Chamber and the Master Emerald secured inside. Shattered, the airborne island had plummeted out of the sky, landing in the Southern Ocean. Over the next several hours, the island would be at risk of sinking, something that his numerous ancestors were working towards preventing, or at least slow down. Emerging from the thick foliage, Knuckles found himself standing amongst a set of ancient ruins.

 _"Oh, ho! What do we have here? Excavated ruins! And it looks like someone's been digging around here lately. Since Eggman blasted his way into the Chaos Chamber, it stands to reason he may have started elsewhere. In any event, it's worth a quick look around."_

Taking a moment to survey his immediate surrounds, he found that it resembled an ancient city, although much of it had crumbled away with the passage of time.

"Déjà vu!" Knuckles mumbled, "This place reminds me of the ruins I've explored on Angel Island. Did Echidnas possibly live here at one time? If so, where did they go? More importantly why?"

His recent travels with the Lost Tribe had exposed him to the existence of other Echidna societies, so it wasn't that much of a stretch . He studied the ruins with a renewed interest, taking note of their advance state of decay. It suggested that the ruins had been abandoned for centuries, possibly even longer then that. Refocusing his attention to the task at hand, Knuckles proceeded forward through the ruins.

 _"Whatever happened to the days when everything was simple?"_ He thought to himself, _"Sonic and I would duke it out...WHOA! That was some chill up my spine. And no wonder...shards of the Master Emerald."_

Two chunks of the monolithic gem lay upon the cobblestones, glittering in the sunlight. Unsure when he might return to Angel Island, he had brought a sack with him to carry the shattered gemstone. Collecting up the pieces, he deposited them inside and continued on his way.

"The emeralds aren't the only thing giving me a funny feeling though," he said, rubbing his chin, "Something or someone is nearby...watching me."

"You're growing more perceptive, lad!" a voice declared.

Turning, Knuckles watched as a puff of smoke emanated from a nearby boulder, revealing the form of a red-skinned Fire Ant. He was dressed in a brown cowboy hat, matching boots, and a brown vest, with a bone necklace hung from around his neck.

"Archy? What are you doing here?" he inquired.

"You were in such a rush, that I suspected you may have forgotten this," stated Archimedes.

The Fire Ant reached inside the pack strapped to his back, removing a small gemstone. Green in colour, it had the image yellow starburst emblazoned upon it's glossy surface. Instantly recognizing it as the Guiding Star Gem, Knuckles practically wanted to kick himself for forgetting to bring it.

"Thanks. This'll make getting back to Angel Island all the easier."

"Looks familiar, doesn't it?" commented the Fire Ant, taking in the landscape.

"Yeah," he replied.

He suspected that he knew far more then he was leading on, which wouldn't have been the first time either. Archimedes and the Brotherhood had been withholding plenty of things from him, believing that these were things that he was not yet ready to know. Travelling deeper into the ruins, the pair stumbled across a small campsite that had been set up in the crumbling interior of what might have been a stone hut. Dropping into a squat, Knuckles held his palm over the fire pit, feel the residual heat emanating from the coals.

"Still warm," the echidna stated, "Someone was here recently."

"Watch yourself, Lad. They could still be around."

Rising to his feet, he continued deeper into the ruins, stopping before a massive temple. Fashioned from stone, the building was better preserved then the rest of the ruins that surrounded it. Of course the most striking feature was the enormous tree that was protruding from the roof.

"AAAAHHHH! HELP ME!" a voiced cried out, shattering the serenity of the jungle.

"I think it came from that direction," Archimedes stated, having perched himself on the Echidna's shoulder.

Rushing over to a gaping hole located at the base of the temple, Knuckles peered into the darkness, finding a ramp the slopped downward. Using his right hand to steady himself, he could feel vibrations emanating through the stone, signaling that a trap had been triggered. Having spent time exploring the ruins of the Sandopolis Zone, Knuckles knew the type of deadly traps that might linger inside. Plunging into the darkness with little regard for his own wellbeing, the Echidna almost immediately found himself encountering a dead end. He could hear the sound of stone grinding against each other, along with the unseen individual's renewed cries for help. Suspecting that he was trapped on the other side of the wall, Knuckles drew back his arm and drove his fist into the solid stone. The stone gave way with ease, exposing a hallway that was quickly becoming narrower. Located at the far end was a portly-looking Overlander with black hair styled into a bowl cut. He was dressed in brown khakis, a yellow shirt, a green coat, and matching loafers. The man was desperately trying to keep the walls from closing in, but was making no real progress. Drawing his arm back, he delivered a punch to one of the walls, destroying the mechanism that operated the trap. They emerged from the temple five minutes later, with the portly Overlander barely able to stand.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Hawk

Location: Mystic Ruins

Fifteen minutes later...

* * *

Having rescued the man, the group had retreated back to the relative safety of the campsite. The Overlander was seated before the fire pit, heating up water in a stainless steel kettle.

"What's an Overlander doing all the way out here?" Knuckles questioned, leaning against a wall with his arms across his chest.

"Overlander? No, I'm a Human," the man corrected, "My name's Hawk."

Knuckles exchanged a glance with Archimedes, who was seated on a brick that stuck out from the wall. Neither of them had heard the term before, but looking at the man's fingers, they suspected that he might be telling the truth. Overlanders typically only had four fingers, with Eggman and Snively being notable exceptions to the rule. Hawk also seemed friendlier then any Overlander he had encountered, which further confirmed his statement.

"What brought you all this way?" Archy asked, repeated the echidna's earlier question.

"I've travelled all the way from Chun-nan in search of the city of Station Square."

"There's a city around here?" the echidna questioned, arching an eyebrow.

"According to records back home, there should be several hidden on this continent."

"Are they inhabited by humans like yourself?"

"Yes, provided that nothing drastic has happened."

"Do you know why exactly they were hidden?" questioned the fire ant.

The human shrugged his shoulder, removing the kettle from the fire and pouring the liquid into two instant ramen cups.

"The information was incomplete, but I suspect it was meant to preserve some segment of the population."  
Knuckles accepted the noodle cup when Hawk offered it to him, along with a pair of wooden chopsticks. The foreigner had wanted to thank the echidna for his timely intervention, but could do little more then provide him with a hot meal.

"Do you believe this city to be close by?" the echidna asked, stirring his noodles.

"Possibly, I really have been travelling blind since arriving on the continent," he admitted.

Exchanging another glance with fire ant, Archimedes understood his student's thought process.

"It might be advantageous for you to check it out," he suggested.

"You're not coming?"

"I need to get back to the island. No doubt your father could use the assistance, but I'll stick around for as long as I can."

"Guess it couldn't hurt to check out this 'hidden' city. Besides, I'm not sensing any emerald shards nearby."

"What are you searching for" Hawk asked.

"Shards of a much large emerald. It was shattered and it's shards were spread all over the area. Don't suppose you've seen any in your travels?"

Hawk thought for a moment, but ended up shaking his head, his black hair whipping all over.

"Can't say that I have, sorry."

"I wasn't expecting the emerald shards to be easy to track down," Knuckles admitted, "Maybe investigating this city will yield something."

"Then we should travel together," Hawk suggested, "I'm headed for the city anyways, so there's no reason why either of us should travel alone."

Knuckles considered his options for a moment, deciding that it was best they travel together.

* * *

Location: Southern Coast

Three hours later...

* * *

Emerging through a tunnel, Knuckles, Hawk, and Archimedes found that the Sapphire Sea was spread out before them. The late afternoon sun was glistening off the blue waters, and there several ruined columns ahead of them.

"I was not expecting to wind up at the coastline," the echidna stated.

"Look!" Hawk said, "There's an elevated train."

Looking up, Knuckles realized that the columns had been part of an ancient aqueduct system. Having been appropriated by the locals, it now supported the elevated tracks of the transit line. Looking around, he discovered a wooden structure that was located only a short distance away.

"Let's check it out," he suggested.

The trio headed towards the structure and ascended its wooden stairs, which were rickety and felt unsafe. As it turned out, the wooden structure was in fact a makeshift station for the train, yet no locomotive was current present.

"Guess we're waiting," the Human stated, removing his backpack.

"And this is where we part ways," Archimedes announced.

"Alright, Archy. I'll see you back on the island."

Leaping down from Knuckles' shoulder, the fire ant landed into his open palm and turned to face his student.

"I have faith in you, Knuckles."

Disappearing into a puff of white smoke, the echidna turned and discovered a map pinned against the wall.

"Hey! I think this is a map of the rail line," he said, heading over to it.

Studying it, he quickly confirmed his suspicions and determined that Station Square lay to the east.

"Do you see any other locations?" Hawk asked, stopping next to the echidna.

"Looks like the train makes stops in Silver Valley, Tingalin Villa, and Emerald Town. Were those locations you were looking for?"

"No...," he replied, "Though it's possible they're were recent settled."

"THE TRAIN HEADED FROM STATION SQUARE WILL BE ARRIVING SOON!" a voice suddenly announced.

The source was a speaker mounted in the corner of the shack, which had gone unnoticed by the pair. Heading to the platform, Knuckles leaned out and stopped a multi-car train headed towards them. Stepping backwards, he waited as the train slowly pulled into the station and the doors slid open. They watched as several humans disembarked from the cars, offering greetings to the pair.

"That's a good sign," Knuckles commented, "Are humans always so friendly?"

"I'm genuinely surprised. Maybe they've encountered your kind before."

"Well whatever. Let's get aboard before the trains leaves without us."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Day of Calm

Location: Thordyke Mansion

The next morning...

* * *

Morning had once again arrived in Station Square, bringing with it the usually excitement of urban life. The Freedom Fighters had already departed earlier that morning, the elder Thorndyke having secured a meeting with Mayor Bullyani.

"Delectable as always. I don't know how you do it, Ella," Chuck said, devouring his omelette.

"And you never will," she stated, "It's my secret recipe."

"Would you like some toast with your scrambled eggs, Miss. Cream?" asked Tanaka.

The Thorndyke's butler, he was a man of Asian ancestry with short black hair that was neatly styled. His attire was formal, consisting of black suit with a white shirt underneath, glasses, and a purple bow tie.

"Yes please. And some for Cheese," the rabbit girl replied.

When offered a slice, the bowtie wearing Chao immediately seized it in his paws and munched away voraciously.

Chris suppressed a chuckle at the sight, nearly gagging on the contents of his tea cup in the process. Looking at his grandfather, he discovered the older man casting a look in his direction.

"I was wondering if you had to stay after school for anything special today?" he stated.

"Not today, grandpa. Why do you asked?"

"How would you like to come to the Mystic Ruins with me?"

"Sorry, grandpa, but I'm meeting my mom downtown after school. Isn't that right, Cream?"

"Yeah, it's true," she replied, "She says she wants to show us something."

"Aw...It'll be good for you to spend some quality time together."

Working as an actress, Lindsey was oftentimes absent from Chris' life, much like his father.

"Yeah," he conceded, "We've got a lot to catch up on."

He downed the remaining contents of the tea cup and rose from his chair, needing to leave for school.

"I better get going."

"So long, Master Chris."

"You study hard now," Ella said, "We'll see you at dinner time."

Grabbing his backpack, the ginger-haired boy emerged from the sprawling mansion and made his way across the courtyard. He stopped midway and turned his eyes skyward, wondering what his new friends were up to.

* * *

Location: City Hall

That same time...

* * *

Having gathered in the waiting area of the mayor's office, the Freedom Fighters now had to wait for his arrival.

"We come all this way and he makes us wait," Sonic complained, stretching out on the couch.

"He's a very busy man," Sally stated, pacing the linoleum floor, "Running a government isn't easy, trust me."

"And yet Mayor Fink makes it look so easy," Tails said sarcastically.

"Ah don't think he's really the best example," Bunnie said, knowing how lazy he had a tendency of being.

The outside door to the office abruptly opened, causing the hedgehog to spring into a seated. They watched a brown-haired man entered the room, dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and a red necktie.

"My apologies for keeping you waiting."

"That's quite alright," Sally said.

"I've been informed that you have knowledge of a potential threat to our city."

"That's correct. His name is Dr. Ivo Robotnik, and we have reason to believe that he's may have discovered your settlement."

"I appreciate your efforts, Freedom Fighters, but there's been no trouble around these parts whatsoever," he stated, "We haven't seen any traces of this Robotnik guy at all. Seems like a wild goose chase if you ask me, so why don't you all relax and we'll take a tour of the city?"

"Of course, Mayor Bullyani," Sally said.

Rising from their seats, the Freedom Fighters followed the mayor out of the office and headed into the hallway. Proceeding to the elevator, they descended to the ground floor and exited the building. Moving along the busy sidewalk, Mayor Bullyani began an explanation of the city's history.

"Our city, Station Square, is built on bedrock with a man-made body of water surrounding it. To think, all this deep within a mountain," he explained, "Our ancestors also made a sky-canopy that imitates day and nights, the seasons, and the weather."

The group soon arrived at the train station and headed inside, which was crowded with would-be passengers. The Freedom Fighters followed his up a set of stairs, they found themselves standing before a train.

"This is the elerail, part of our rapid transit system."

"He calls this rapid?!" Sonic thought, unimpressed.

This ride could last all day long, so if you wish to go exploring on your own...either to the Emerald Coast, Silver Valley, or the Mystic Ruins, be my guest."

If it's okay with you, Mr. Mayor, we'd rather continue with the tour."

"Speak for yourself, Sal, I'll see you back at Chris'!" he announced.

"I'm gonna retrieve the Tornado," Tails stated.

With the departure of Sonic and Tails, the remaining Freedom Fighters took their seats as the doors closed.

"Ah've never seen so many Overlanders in one place," Bunnie commented, peering out the window.

"I don't recognize the term Overlanders. We call ourselves Humans. Any other questions?"

"Yes, I don't understand why your civilization hasn't yet made contact with the rest of the world, Mr. Mayor."

"Well, Princess, the city's has been cut off from the rest of the globe for so long it's become self-sufficient, with no reason to establish outside relations," the mayor explained, offering his hand to the princess, "With no reason until now. I look forward to the future."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Unexpected Suprise

Location: Station Square

Afternoon...

* * *

Laying his blue eyes upon the fist-sized gem, Chris couldn't prevent himself from letting out a gasp. Yellow in colour, he suspected that it was one of the Chaos Emeralds that his new friends had mentioned.

"Do you like it?" his mother asked, noticing his reaction.

She was a young woman with strawberry-blonde hair, wearing a pink dress and a string of pearls around her neck.

"Sure I like it, it's amazing! Where did you find it?" he asked.

"I saw it in a jewellery shop last week and I just had to have it, but it really doesn't match any of my outfits. Here, it's yours."

Offering the gem to Cream, the woman's generosity had clearly taken the rabbit-girl by surprised.

"That's awfully generous," she said.

"It would look perfect with your colouring."

"We could sure use it."

"It's settled then," Lindsey declared, "Now if only we could get you out of the dreadful bunny costume and into a smart suit."

"But mom, that's not a costume, Cream really is a..."

The rest of his words were lost to the sound of her mobile ringing, which she promptly answered.

"Hi? Oh! Right now? Fine I'll be there, wait for me."

Slipping her phone back into her handbag, Lindsey immediately rose to her feet and faced her only child.

"Oh mummy hates to rush off like this, but there trouble on the set. Apparently they have to recast the dog."

"It's okay. I understand. We'll do it another time."

"Mommy loves you," she said, throwing her arms around him.

She gave him a kiss on the cheek and prompt departed, giving her son a final farewell.

"Goodbye, sweetheart."

"Thank you very much," Cream said.

The pair left the cafe not long after, the rabbit's brown eyes fixated on the mystical gemstone of unimaginable power.

"Chris, it's so pretty..."

"I can't believe it was in a jewellery store," the boy said, "Let's take it home and show Sonic."

Cheese quickly few ahead as they headed down the sidewalk, colliding with a frog that had suddenly leapt into his path. Crumpling to the ground, Cream immediately went to check on her companion's wellbeing.

"Cheese...?" she began.

"Are you okay?"

The Chao appeared no worse for wear, quickly sitting up and hovering himself off the sidewalk

"Huh? What's this?" Chris asked, picking up what appeared to be a some sort of amphibian.

"It looks like a frog, but it's got a tail."

"HEY FROGGY!" a voice called out.

Turning, they discovered a large cat with purple fur suddenly come barrelling down the street. Tripping over his own feet, the feline fell forward, crushing the human and rabbit beneath him.

"C'mon here, Froggy," he begged, prompting the frog to hop off, "Oh, please don't run away. My buddy!"

Both Chris and Cream managed to extricate themselves, getting to their feet, while the cat turned around to face them.

"Sorry, mister. Your little frog friend got tangled up with our little Chao friend," Chris stated.

"You look like your kinda lost," Cream stated.

They introduced themselves, but do to his dim-wittedness, it was difficult for them to understand him.

"Let's try this again," Chris said, "So you name is Big and you came here with your friend Froggy. Is that what you're saying?"

The feline nodded his large head, causing the human and rabbit to let out a sigh of relief.

"Told you we'd get to the bottom of this."

"He's not a frog," Big stated, "He's Froggy."

The pair lowered their heads in defeat, unable to comprehend the feline's thought process.

"He's gone. Poor Froggy, what if I never find him."

"Don't worry, Big. You'll find Froggy again, we'll help you."

"Would you like us to help you find him?" Cream asked.

"That would be nice."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Night of Chaos

Location: Forest Hill

That evening...

* * *

"We've been out here looking for hours," Chris complained, walking through the park alongside Cream and Big.

"Hey! Are you out here little buddy?" Big called out.

There came a rustle within the nearby foliage, immediately drawing the attention of the trio.

"Is that you, Froggy?"

There came no answer, instead a gelatinous puddle suddenly oozed out from the bushes and into their path.

"I don't think that's him," Cream stated.

"That looks like the same stuff that Froggy swallowed."

"You seen this before?" Chris questioned.

"I saw him drink it and then Froggy grew a tail," Big confirmed.

The puddle suddenly coalesced into a humanoid-like shape, with oversized green eyes and a visible brain. Attempted to approach the creature, Cream was quick to snatch up the Chao and prevent it from doing so.

"Don't move. Just keep calm."

Seemingly loosing interest in the trio, the creature headed into the street where it proceeded to trash everything in sight. Nearby citizens screamed and fled the scene, while the sound of approaching police cars filled their night air.

"We'd better make a run for it while it's not looking," Chris suggested, running off. "Come on," Cream said, snatching Cheese from the air.

Racing out of the park, they quickly found themselves trapped behind a police barricade.

"You are completely surrounded," an officer announced, "Surrender yourself!"

The creature took a threatening step forward, resulting in the officers immediately opening. Their firearms had next to no effect, with the bullets falling harmlessly to the ground.

"Oh no! Our weapons are useless!" another officer shouted.

"All personnel retreat! Pull back!"

As the officers fled, the creature smashed up a pair of squad cars before continuing forward.

"All right! This could be fun," Sonic declared, dropping down from the rooftops.

"Sonic!" Chris called out.

"Hey, buddy. Good to see you."

"Sonic, behind you."

The creature immediately attacked, it's claws sinking into the cement from an overhead swing. Sonic launched himself airborne before they had even connected, which had made it variable, allowing the hedgehog to plant both his feet into the creature's head.

"Careful, Sonic. Whatever it is it's dangerous."

Grinning, he launched himself forward as the creature attempted a second strike against him. Racing up the side of a skyscraper, Sonic curled into a ball and plummeted the rest of the way down. He tore though the creature's torso, causing it to lose cohesion and splatter all over the sidewalk. He retreated to the top of a streetlight, watching as it reformed and attempt to flee down a manhole.

"Come on ya big drip! Where ya goin'?"

"Ho ho ho ho ho!" a voice laughed.

Eggman appeared overhead, seated behind the controls of his Egg Mobile, which appeared to have undergone a remodel.

"I do hope you'll all forgive me for dropping in unannounced this way, but I simply couldn't miss out on all the excitement."

"Eggman," growled the hedgehog.

"I've stayed quiet for awhile, but I'll be getting busy again," he declared.

"Go away, Eggman. Haven't you caused enough trouble?" Cream shouted.

"One can never cause enough trouble my dear, as you'll soon see."

Pressing a button on the control panel, a mechanical grabber arm suddenly descended, seizing the jewellery box that contained the Chaos Emerald.

"Chaos, catch!" Eggman said.

Tossing the box towards the manhole, the yellow gemstone went flying, landing in a puddle that had begun seeping up out of the sewer line. It's liquid-like form glowing, Chaos coalesced once more, this time appearing larger and with a bone-like growth forming within it's right arm with the yellow Chaos Emerald embedded in its palm.

"How's that, Sonic? For every Chaos Emerald it gets, Chaos becomes more powerful."

"Chaos?" Sonic questioned.

"If I gather all seven Chaos Emeralds, it will turn into the ultimate monster," he declared, "I'll use it to destroy Station Square and build my own city atop its ruins."

The creature made a threatening gesture, forcing the hedgehog to put himself in front of his friends.

"Back off!"

"Finish them, Chaos!"

"Not so fast!" a voice called out. "What did you do to the Master Emerald!?"

"Mister Knuckles, did something happen to the Master Emerald?" Cream asked, recognizing the burly red echidna who had just barreled onto the scene.

"Yeah, you could say that...Huh? Sonic, you're here too?"

"Would it be better if I wasn't?" questioned the hedgehog.

"No, it's perfect. There are a lot of questions I have to ask him."

"Two-on-one puts me at a disadvantage," Eggman declared, revealing a glowing red object.

"A Chaos Emerald," the echidna gasped in surprise.

"He has such a healthy appetite."

Tossing the fist-sized gem over his head, Chaos reached up with his left arm and transformed a second time.

"It just keeps getting bigger," Sonic cried out.

Rising its right arm above its head, Chaos slammed it into the ground where the hedgehog and echidna had been standing. Landing atop a phone booth, Sonic launched himself into a spin dash, trying to deliver a blow to the creature. The water monster suddenly began to generate electricity, catching the hedgehog off guard. Thrown backwards, Knuckles immediately went on the offensive, but a swipe from its right arm sent him flying. Landing in the road, the echidna was left unable to defend himself from Chaos' attacks. The creature fired a stream of water at the Guardian, but Sonic was there to pull him to safety. Landing on the overhang of a nearby building

"It changed its attack methods," the hedgehog stated, "That monster evolves every time it absorbs a Chaos Emerald!"

The creature targeted the two Mobians, firing another stream of water that snapped a pair of palm trees. Launching themselves from the building, the duo narrowly avoided getting caught in the resulting collapse.

"That's right, trash everything," Eggman encouraged.

Casting Knuckles a glance, the pair immediately decided that a change of tactics was required. Rushing forward, Sonic avoided another water attack, while the echidna used his brute strength. He delivered a series of punches, but the electrical field returned, throwing Knuckles across the street. Sonic quickly capitalized, shooting down the side of a building and spinning into the creature. The attack did nothing, forcing the hedgehog to seek shelter on the roof of a nearby building.

"He's shocking, isn't he?" the doctor gloated, "And that's what he's like with only two measly emeralds."

"He doesn't scare me," Knuckles declared.

"Yeah, me neither," Sonic agreed.

As he plunged down the side, the echidna launched another attack, delivering another series of punches. His perseverance seemingly paid off, and the monster appeared to have become weakened. Meanwhile Sonic had been racing up and down the streets, gathering speed before tearing through Chaos' body. Collapsing to the ground, the creature lost cohesion, spread out across the ground in a large puddle.

"How dare you! Well, whatever. Chaos' power is only just beginning."

Eggman pressed a button on the control console, activating a tractor beam that drew Chaos' liquid form into a storage tank onboard the Egg Mobile.

"We'll handle anything you come up with. Bring it on," Knuckles declared.

Sonic wanted to agree with the echidna, but he could shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Strategize

Location: Thorndyke Residence

The next morning...

* * *

After the events of the previous night, the Freedom Fighters had gathered inside of Chuck's loft above the garage. Whenever the elder Thorndyke was busy with a project, he would sleep in the loft rather then head indoors. Joined by Knuckles and Big, they needed to come up with a plan of action to thwart Robotnik. Cream was the only one not present, as the young rabbit wasn't a member of the Freedom Fighters.

"No matter where you go, you won't find coffee this delicious," Chuck stated.

"Shouldn't we be out trying to stop Eggman instead of taking a coffee break?" Sonic questioned.

Sally rolled her blue eyes, unsurprised by the blue hedgehog's desire to take the fight to the enemy.

"I'm hoping we can put our heads together and unravel the mystery of Eggman's Chaos creature."

"It's the most powerful thing I've ever seen," Knuckles announced, "We watched it gulp down two Chaos Emeralds like they were candy."

"They made that thing even stronger," Sonic said in agreement.

"It sounds like an old legend my grandfather used to scare me with when I was a kid."

"Really? What was it about?" Amy asked.

"It involved a creature called 'Perfect Chaos'. It's got something to do with the ancient ruins outside the city," the professor explained.

"That might be something worth looking into," Nate stated.

"Knuckles, why aren't you on Angel Island?" Sally asked, a question that had been on her mind.

"The Master Emerald's been shattered," the echidna replied, "Eggman attacked the island the other night and sent it crashing into the ocean."

"Knuckles..."

"It's fine. The Brotherhood can handle things on the island, but I've got to recover the shards before it sinks."

"If you need help..."

"You've got your hands full enough already," he said, declining the princess' offer.

"Big, when you went looking for Froggy in the forest didn't you see something that looked like Chaos?" Chris asked.

"I tried to catch Froggy, but he was faster then me and he hopped away with something I found in the forest," the feline stated, completely ignoring the question.

"What was that?"

"It was a big, purple rock. It looked awfully pretty when it was glowing."

"That sounds like a Chaos Emerald," Tails commented.

"If that's the case then we'd better find that frog quiet," Sally stated.

"Why's that, your highness?" the boy questioned.

"Because Eggman is determined to do anything to seize an emerald," Sonic answered.

"Right. It sounds like the more emeralds he feeds to this Chaos creature, the greater the threat he'll become," Amy added.

"We need to find those emeralds before Eggman," Sally announced.

"My Preenzess, how can you be sure ze Chaos Emeralds are here?" Antoine asked.

"Three have already appeared in this region..., that's too many to be a simple coincidence."

"I'm in complete agreement," Nate said.

"Here's the plan...Sonic, I want you and Tails to track down the emeralds."

"Using the one powering the Tornado, we should be able to narrow down the locations of the others."

"Good. Antoine, Bunnie, and Amy, I want you to keep a look out for Eggman. If he rears his ugly head then we need to know pronto."

"Right, Sally-girl," acknowledged the cyborg-rabbit.

"Which leaves Uncle Nate, NICOLE, and I to research this 'Prefect Chaos' at the local library."

"I'll continue looking for the broken pieces of the Master Emerald," Knuckles declared.

"I guess Big and I could go and try to find Froggy together," Chris stated.

"I'm not such that a good idea," Sally said.

"How much trouble could they get into searching for one frog?" Chuck questioned.

Exiting from the building, the group went their separate ways, with Sonic and Tails heading for the Tornado. The bi-plane was parked in front of the garage, within the driveway that was lined with palm trees. The two Mobians climbed into the twin-seater, with Tails starting up the custom engine that the fox had co-developed with Nate. The engine was already running when Chuck emerged, prompting the man to fish a remote from his lab coat. Pressing a button, the trees tilted away to provide enough clearance to allow the Tornado to take to the air. The aircraft slowly took off down the driveway, generating enough lift to carry it into the cloudless sky.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Chaotic Combat

Location: Windy Valley

One hour later...

* * *

The Tornado soared through the overcast skies, miles from the mountain that housed Station Square. Having no real means of pinpointing a Chaos Emerald, they could only fly around aimlessly until their own emerald reacted. Without warning, the aircraft suddenly jostled, the energy output of the Chaos Emerald fluctuating wildly.

"The Chaos Emerald detected something," Tails announced, struggling to maintain control.

Sonic studied the landscape, seeing a pale-blue glow amongst the naturally formed rock pillars.

"Down there," the hedgehog stated, pointing into the distance.

The fox was forced the circle several times, before locating a spot where he could land the Tornado. Once on the ground, the pair disembarked, with Tails making sure to retrieving the Chaos Emerald. The terrain was uneven, making it difficult to traverse, while the wind didn't help their situation. Caught in a gust, the fox was suddenly lifted off his feet and would've been carried away had it not been for Sonic's timely intervention.

"Are you okay?" the hedgehog asked.

"I'm fine. The wind caught me by surprise."

Continuing onward, Tails watched as the glow of the Chaos Emerald began to intensify significantly.

"This must be the spot," the fox surmised.

"We'll see."

The emerald must've been buried underground, as a pale glow seemed to form at their feet. Tails had had the forethought to bring a Power Ring with them, and Sonic wasted no time in utilizing it. Leaping into the air, the hedgehog spun dashed at the ground and burrowed into the soft earth. Dirt was flung in all directions, prompting the fox was forced to shield his face with his left arm. A beam of light radiated upward, with the cyan emerald floating into the air under its own power. He seized the gemstone with his free hand, while watching as Sonic burst out of the ground.

"I sure hope the other ones are as easy to track down."

"Yeah, me too," Sonic said in agreement.

There was another gust of wind, but this time Tails dug in his heels to keep himself from flying away. He heard laughter being carried by it, and looked skyward to discover Eggman seated in one of his contraptions. As usual, the Egg Mobile served as the cockpit of the vehicle, with thrusters attached to the rear, while a pair of drills were attached to the sides.

"Oh, great!" Sonic groaned.

The craft shot overhead, knocking Tails to the ground and causing the Chaos Emeralds to fly from his grasp. The pair watched in horror as a telescoping claw descended from the vehicle, seizing both Chaos Emeralds.

"My scheme worked like a charm," Eggman declared, "You did all the grunt work and I get all the glory, not to mention the Chaos Emeralds."

"Sonic, he followed us here," Tails stated.

"I'll see you next time boys, next time you find a Chaos Emerald that is."

The aircraft turned around and attempted to fly away, but the hedgehog wasn't about to have any of that. Race forward, he leapt into the air and landed onto the exterior of Eggman's contraption. The egg-shaped scientist jerked the controls, causing the craft to tilt in an attempt to throw Sonic from it. Despite that, he hung on, even managing to work his way around to the front of the vehicle. The Doctor didn't appreciate the hedgehog's stubbornness, immediately forcing the ship to dive. The impact caused Sonic's body to be thrown clear from the craft, slamming him into the rocky ground.

"HERE!" Tails yelled, throwing him a Power Ring.

The fox had had the forethought of bringing along one, which was proving to be needed. Catching the golden band, Sonic could feel the energy flowing throughout his battered body. The hedgehog promptly went into a spin dash, clashing with the rotating drills of the Egg Hornet. Both seemed to be on even footing, but it was Sonic who finally won out, snapping one of the drills.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Eggman roared.

Going airborne, the hedgehog tore his way through the craft, forcing the doctor to eject his Egg Mobile. The green and cyan emeralds were lost in the chaos, falling and landing within a nearby pond.

"We'll have to fish them out," Tails lamented as Sonic landed beside him.

They glowed brightly, with the two Mobians hearing the dictator laughing above them.

"You can come out now, Chaos 4."

They watched as Eggman's Chaos creature broke the surface of the water, having be transformed by the emeralds. This time it resembled a shark, with the two Chaos Emeralds having become embedded within its pelvis.

"What do we do now!?" Tails cried out.

The creature emitted a growl, and with a wave of its right arm, unleashed a wave of energy. The pair were knocked backwards, with the hedgehog successfully managing to land on his feet.

"You stay here," he told Tails, "I'll handle it."

He launched into a spin dash and shot into the air, landing on a lily pad when the creature submerged itself. The water surrounding the lily pad lit up, just as a geyser shot up into the air, forcing Sonic into a retreat. Landing on another lily pad, he remained on the move, launching himself into the air and planting his feet into Chaos' back. The creature lost cohesion and separated in several blobs, like oil floating atop the surface of water.

"Alright!" Tails cried out, with Sonic landed next to him.

The pair watched as the creature reformed itself, unleashing another wave of energy. Sonic was already airborne, his body in a tight ball, as he slammed into the Eggman's creature. They both went under, with Tails crying out due to the hedgehog's inability to swim.

"Good! Drown him!" Eggman ordered his pet.

Chaos burst from the water, with Sonic hanging onto the creature for dear life as it submerged again. This went on for several seconds, with the cobalt hedgehog quickly becoming waterlogged. The wind began to pick up, prompting Sonic to let go, using it to the force of nature to his advantage. He hung in the air for a moment, using those precious seconds to curl into a ball and launch himself at the creature. He violently tore through its head, causing it to lose cohesion once more, this time not reforming.

"You finished it off this time for sure!" Tails announced.

The hedgehog dropped down next to the fox, turning his attention to the egg-shaped doctor.

"Hey, guys! I'll play with you again sometime!"

"How dare you!" he growled, using the Egg Mobile's tractor beam to lift Chaos' watery remains into the vehicle, "You haven't seen the full power of Chaos yet! Just wait, Sonic!"

The craft immediately flew away, soon joined by a vessel, one that was several times larger. The pair stood in awe at the sight, which reminded them of both the Winged Fortress and the Flying battery.

"How do you like my air fortress Egg Carrier?" Eggman asked, his personal craft entering a docking bay in the belly of the fortress.

"If I only held the Chaos Emeralds more tightly…I'm sorry, Sonic."

"Never mind. Let's hurry up and go after him."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Crash

Location: Station Square

Thirty minutes later...

* * *

Amy walked the streets of the human inhabited metropolis, keeping her eyes peeled for any signs of Eggman. There came a deafening boom that echoed throughout the cavern, drawing her attention.

"The weather forecast didn't say it was going to rain," she stated.

Looking in the direction of the sound, she discovered that some of the convex holographic panels had darkened. A gaping hole had seemingly formed, with light from the world outside pouring through. A dark shadow descended upon the streets, prompting the pink hedgehog to look skyward. Passing directly overhead was a massive ship, one that bore the grinning face of Dr. Eggman. She watched as the vessel was pursued by the Tornado, the tiny bi-place managing to keep up with the larger ship.

"That's the Tornado"

A firefight soon erupted between the opposing aircrafts, the skies becoming filled with gunfire. The bi-plane was far more maneuverable, able to fly circles around the much larger vessel. An explosion blossomed against the exterior of Eggman's battleship, leaving a trail of black smoke. Something escaped through the newly created opening, falling out of sky and striking Amy in the skull. Crying out in pain, the hedgehog was knocked to the ground, which went unnoticed by the pedestrians.

"My head's not a landing pad!" she complained.

Searching for the object, that had caused her pain, she discovered a blue Flicky sprawled upon the sidewalk. The hedgehog quickly picked it up, concerned that it had gotten hurt during the fall.

"You poor little thing, are you hurt?"

The Flicky bird let out a miserable chirp, but otherwise it was prevented from moving. Amy turned her attention skyward, watching as the Tornado continued it pursuit of the larger vessel. A laser shot seared past the bi-plane, missing the wing, but the heat alone was enough melt away the panelling. She watched as the Tornado went into a freefall, disappearing amongst the towering buildings.

"OH NO!" she screamed, as she rushed off after the Tornado.

* * *

Location: Wood Zone

Four years ago...

* * *

Motes of pollen swirled in the air of the Wood Zone, catching the sunlight that filtered through the surrounding trees. It was within the overgrown region where a young fox with yellow fur found himself being bullied by three older boys, an occurrence that had become commonplace.

"STOP IT!" Miles shouted, thrashing against the monkey's grasp.

Held in a full nelson, he could only watch as a black and grey bear cub brandished a metal pipe. Resting on top of a boulder was a contraption of his own making, a device that had no actual purpose.

"PLEASE DON'T BREAK IT!"

Despite his scrams, the bear cub swung the pipe in a downward swing, smashing it to pieces. Releasing his hold of his fox, the monkey thrust his palms against his back and shoved him to the ground. The two Mobians immediately headed off in the direction of Knothole Village, while another fox approached him. Digging his sandaled foot into the ground, he sent dirt into Miles' face with a kick.

"Freak," he snarled.

Departing after his friends, the twin-tailed fox was left to sob, although he would've insisted that it was because of the dirt in his eyes. Rotor had said it was because some people felt threatened by their genius, but for Miles it was because of his mutation. Having been born with two tails, he found himself constantly set apart from other kids his age. Having grown tired of crying, the fox rose to his feet and collected up the ruined components of his device. Slowly he headed off in the opposite direction of the village, not feeling up to heading home. Dragging his feet as he walked, he paid little attention to where he was headed. A noise caught his attention, and when he looked up he discovered a hedgehog skidding to a stop on the dirt path. He was pre-adolescent with blue fur, his feet covered in a pair of boots that were red and white. He looked around the area and sniffed at the forest air, suddenly taking off once more.

"He's cool! I'm going to follow him," the boy declared.

Taking off in pursuit, the twin-tailed fox quickly lost sight of him when he reached the coastline. He was in an area known as Boulder Bay, a verdant landscape untouched by Robotnik. Parked on the white sand of the beach was a bi-plane, the word Sonic written on its red panelling. The boy approached the aircraft, having pushed the need to be cautious from his mind. Scrambling onto the exterior of the place, he peered into the cockpit and studied the instrument panel.

"Wow! This plane seems pretty fast, but I bet I could make it even faster."

Before he knew it, he had improved the transmission and was now giving it a new paint job.

"What are you doing?" a voice questioned.

Turning around, the fox discovered the blue hedgehog standing behind him, his blue furred arms held across his chest. He didn't have the look of someone who was angry, rather the juvenile hedgehog appeared almost amused. Hopping down from the wing of the plane, Miles sheepishly placed his right hand behind his head.

"Sorry. When I see a machine I can't help myself. Hope you don't mind that I changed the engine to make if faster."

"Hmm...I like what you did to the colour too," he stated.

A huge smile broke across Miles' face, having never anticipated receiving such a reception.

"Come and see what else I did."

"So you've been fallowing me around all morning to check out my airplane or is there something else you want?"

"Everyone bullies me because I'm only good at mechanics," Miles replied, "You looked cool, so I decided to follow you, and when I found you plane I figured I'd fix it and we could be friends. If you want to."

"What's your name?" the hedgehog inquired.

"Miles Prower."

He studied the boy for a moment, taking notice of the young fox's twin tails that swished out behind him.

"Miles?"

"Yeah, I hate it."

"Okay, I'll call you something else. I'll call you 'Tails'!"

"What's your name?" Tails asked.

"My name's Sonic," he introduced, "Nice job Tails, I could use a mechanic and a friend."

"You mean that?"

* * *

Location: Thorndyke Residence

Present day...

* * *

Tails suddenly awoke, his head pounding with pain that it was difficult for him to think.

"What a nostalgic dream," he muttered, sitting up and looking around the room, "This is...Chris' house."

"You regained consciousness," Chuck said from a nearby armchair.

"I…Where's Sonic?"

"He's fine. Amy saw you two falling and contacted me."

The elder Thorndyke gestured to a nearby footstool where Sonic was seated, the hedgehog's attention was focused on the television. SSTV was reporting on the attack, which had resulted in damaged buildings and injuries.

"He caused such a scene."

Tails looked down sadly, knowing that such chaos could've all been avoided if only he had kept hold of the Chaos Emeralds.

"The Tornado was also badly damaged," Chuck added.

"But we won't give up! When we lose, we'll pay them back in double!"

"That's the spirit!" Sonic said, his attention now focused on the twin-tailed fox.

"The town is in a panic. I hope Amy and the others are not caught in the crowd."

"I'll go check on them."

Sonic was on his feet, making his way to the door and stepping out into the front yard of the estate.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Captive

Location: Station Square

Afternoon...

* * *

Walking along the crowded streets of the city, Amy was followed by Cream and Cheese. Having been ordered to remain at the Thorndyke's residence, the pair had naturally grown bored. Wishing to rectify the situation, the pink hedgehog had chosen to take them out shopping.

"Sonic and Tails were pretty banged up," she stated, "They'll feel a lot better after they eat the gourmet meal we cook for them."

They had acquired plenty of ingredients, all of which required several bags to carry all of it.

"Yeah," Cream said in agreement, "Now I can try out all the fancy recipes that Ella taught me."

"Right, the two of us will do the best we can!"

"Chao chao!" complained Cheese.

"Sorry. I forgot to include you, Cheese. The three of us."

"Chao chao chao!"

"Thank goodness you weren't badly hurt," she said to the Flicky, which followed her.

"Birdie, where did you come from? What's your name?" the rabbit inquired.

The bird let out a series of tweets, but neither Mobian could understand what it was trying to say.

"I wonder what it wants to say."

"I don't know."

"It's inconvenient if you don't have a name," Amy said, trying to come up with a name, "Okay! How about the name Lily?"

The Flicky tweeted in response, seemingly happy to have received a new name.

"It seems to like the name."

"Hi, Lily. You seem lost, so I hope I can get you back to your flock."

The group stopped dead in their tracks, discovering a green robot which resembled a trash can. A large headlight was mounted to the left side of the machine, with a pair of spindly arms that ending in what resembled boxing gloves.

"Target detected!" it declared in a monotone voice.

"What is that?"

Without warning, the robot launched itself forward, seizing the hedgehog within its oversized hand.

"Let me go!"

"Somebody, please help us!" Cream cried out.

"Chao chao chao!"

Sonic quickly arrived on the scene, rush past bags of groceries that lay spilled onto the sidewalk.

"Sonic!" she screamed to the hedgehog.

"Mission complete!" droned the automaton.

An integrated booster activated, lifting the robot off the ground and carrying it onto the afternoon sky.

"Amy!"

"Sonic!"

The robot disappeared into the distance, already too far for the hedgehog to be able to catch it.

* * *

Location: Egg Carrier

Two hours later...

* * *

Sitting on the floor of the cell, Amy heard nothing but the barely discernible hum of machinery. At least she wasn't completely alone, Lily was just as much of a prisoner as she was.

"Lily, do you know what telepathy is?" the hedgehog asked.

The Flicky let out an inquisitive chirp, prompting Amy continue on with the explanation.

"When you care about someone, that person will always know how you feel. Just like a flower petal carried along by the wind."

A loud hiss filled the detention center as a door opened at the far end, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps. It was the sound of metal-on-metal, which grew steadily closer until arrival at the cell. The individual was a robot with an ellipsoid-shaped body, with legs that were digitigrade. A white strip covering the center of its red body, with the numbers 102 painted on the right side of its body.

"What do you want?" she demanded, under the scrutiny of the robot's crimson eyes.

"Hand over the bird," it droned, levelling the gun attached to its right arm.

"No! I'm not giving you Lily! Never!"

"Calmly hand over the bird."

"When I say no, I mean no!"

"Why not?"

"I don't need a reason! What do you intend to do with this bird?"

"I have no information."

"You don't even know? I know you might hurt both of us. Please, Mr. Robot...Won't you help us, please?"

Amy rose to her feet and took a step forward, causing the robot abruptly step backwards, seemingly growing unhinged by the conversation.

"Insufficient data. You have feeling for something you know nothing about. Illogical."

"I pity you. Love is not part of your programming, you are missing something good."

The Flicky escaped from the hedgehog's grasp and flew in front of the robot, hovering in midair.

"Lily!" she cried out.

Ignoring the hedgehog, she let out a series of chirps and tweets, causing the android to clutch its head in pain.

"My head hurts," the robot groaned.

"What's wrong?

Swinging its right arm, the robot took aim at a nearby control panel and unleashed a laser shot into it. The bars of the cell rose up with an audible grinding noise, leaving nothing to prevent Amy from escaping.

"Go, escape!"

"W-Why?"

"It's dangerous here. Hurry. We'll be at the Mystic Ruins base soon."

"You seem different from the other Eggman robots. If you're not an evil robot, then the next time we meet, we'll meet as friends. Bye!"

As the hedgehog and Flicky quickly fled the detention center, the robot was left to utter a single word.

"Friend..."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Fire Fight

Location: Thorndyke Estate

That same time...

* * *

Having completed a rushed patch job, the Tornado once again sat within the driveway. Sonic and Tails once more sat within the cockpit, ready to take the fight to Dr. Eggman. Standing at the mouth of the garage, Chuck watched as the pair began a pre-flight check list.

"Tails is pushing himself too hard," Chuck stated.

Though he hadn't suffered a concussion as a result of the crash, he was still deeply concerned for the fox's wellbeing.

"I hope they succeed in rescuing Amy," Tanaka said.

"I only hope they'll be able to find her."

"I'm worried about Amy," Cream whimpered to Ella.

"Amy will be fine because she's a strong girl," she reassured.

"Tornado taking off!" Tails declared over the sound of the engine.

Accelerating forward, the Tornado took to the skies and headed off in pursuit of Eggman's flagship.

"Hey Tails, are you all right?" the hedgehog questioned.

The young fox's head was wrapped with bandages, meant as a precaution more then anything.

"Yeah. I'm fine, Sonic."

"You don't need to overdo it, Tails. I can go alone."

"I'm going too! I have to go. You don't need to worry about me. I'm not that hurt. It's more important to hurry up and find the Egg Carrier and rescue Amy. Here we go, Sonic."

"Are you really okay, Tails?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered, his words coming out harsher then he intended.

Accelerating, the plane headed in the direction of the opening that had been blown into the mountainside. It had merely served as a means of sowing some Chaos, with the dictator quickly pulling a disappearing act. Exiting from the mountain, the duo continued over the dense foliage of the Mystic Ruins.

* * *

Location: Mystic Ruins

One hour later...

* * *

Heading in a westerly direction, they watched as the landscape gradually became more barren and canyon-like. They spotted the Egg Carrier in the distance, but they noticed a red figure standing atop a cliff. Recognizing the individual as Knuckles, Tails immediately banked the Tornado and dropped several feet.

"Hey, Knuckles! Headed our way?" Sonic hollered over the engine.

The Echidna turned his head in the direction of the plane, a smirk spreading across his face. The Tornado circled for a moment, giving Knuckles enough time to leap off the cliff and glide over to the aircraft. Sonic had attached a ladder made of rope to the side, giving him something to seize a hold of.

"You headed to the Egg Carrier too?" the Echidna questioned, hulling himself up the ladder.

"Yeah! One of Eggman's robots snatched Amy," Tails answered.

"Seems we both got our reasons for seeing Eggman."

A bolt of light quickly silenced any response, as the Tornado had gotten within range of the Egg Carrier. The air was soon filled with missiles, forcing Tails to push the biplane into a dive in an effort to avoid them. Making a pass at the flying fortress, the twin-tailed fox peppered the exterior with gunfire from the twin 25mm Machine Guns. Overshooting the aircraft, the Tornado was now flying ahead of the much larger ship.

"Sonic! Knuckles! Are you okay?"

"We're fine. But more importantly, it's attacking again!" announced the hedgehog.

The bow of the ship had begun to separate, revealing a lens of green glass that was hidden within.

"I'm not scared. Since I lost earlier, I'll just pay him back in double!" Tails stated, "Sonic! Knuckles! I'm going to use the ace up my sleeve. Make sure you don't bite your tongues."

"What?"

"What do you mean?" Knuckles demanded.

"Tornado...Battle Mode, engaged."

While the cannon housed within the bow of the ship began to charge, Tails pressed two buttons on the console. The lights above them lit up red, and the twin-tailed fox reached for an adjacent pull lever. A mechanic sound emanated from the biplane, with the propeller retracting into the engine. The nose of the aircraft was enclosed by metal panels, while the wings split apart and rotated. Locked into an X-shape, the body of the aircraft had opened up to reveal a hidden jet engine.

"Hang on!" Tails yelled, pulling up on the yoke.

The already nimble bi-plane was now much faster, allowing it to easily avoid the searing beam of energy. Banking to the left, Tails immediately went on the offensive, peppering the aerial fortress. Unable to get a target-lock on the smaller craft, the Egg Carrier was left practically defenceless. Incensed by the Mobians' stubbornness, Eggman transformed his flying fortress into a battle mode of its own.

"Amazing! A ship that large transformed!"

Tightening his grip on the yoke, Tails made another approach, targeting the anti-aircraft defenses that left the vessel crippled.

"We're in!"

"Okay, land on the Egg Carrier," Sonic ordered.

"Oh no!" the fox cried out in a panic.

"What's wrong?"

"There's no landing gear in this mode."

"What!?" the hedgehog and echidna shouted in unison.

The Tornado dropped low, skimming across the flight deck before Tails attempted to bring the aircraft the aircraft in for a landing. Touching down, it immediately skidded across the deck and came to a rest halfway from where they had initially made contact.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Aircraft Assault

Location: Egg Carrier

Three minutes later...

* * *

Abandoning the Tornado, Tails and Knuckles raced down the runway, Sonic quickly overtaking the pair.

"I'm going ahead!" the hedgehog declared.

Glancing into the sky, the twin-tailed fox discovered missiles raining down from the cloud-filled sky. Sonic avoided them with ease, quickly racing back to where his companions were located.

"Tails, are you okay?"

The hedgehog's concern was understandable, he was still banged up after the Tornado had been shot out of the sky.

"Yeah!" the fox replied.

"Alright!" he said, another missile arching through the air.

Sonic immediately stepped to the side, causing a hole to open up where it impacted. Seeing the new opening, Knuckles saw his means of getting into the interior of the flying fortress.

"Sonic, sorry but I'm going to look for the Master Emerald," the echidna announced.

Knuckles leaps through the hole.

"Knuckles!"

"Knuckles has his own mission. Let's go and rescue Amy. Let's go, Tails!"

The pair raced off, making their way toward the stern of the vessel, catching sight of a pink hedgehog in the distance. She had been accosted by Decoe and Bocoe, and Sonic could hear their voices being carried by the wind.

"We won't let you escape!" Decoe declared.

"Yeah!"

"Did you say something?" Amy asked, brandishing her hammer threateningly.

The henchbots immediately took a step backwards, wanting to be out of range of her

"Calm down!" Bocoe warned.

Raising the hammer above her head, Amy was ready to deliver a beating on the two robots. She felt someone seize the handle, nearly causing her to lose her balance when she was pulled backwards.

"How unladylike," Eggman stated.

"Hey! Hey!" she screamed.

"If you're gonna chase after girls, choose a better one, Eggman."

Sonic skidded across the deck and came to a stop before the group, followed closely behind by Tails.

"Sonic...What do you mean by that!"

"You're finished, Eggman," the hedgehog declared, ignoring Amy.

"I don't think so."

Without warning, Decoe seized Lily with a pair of extendible claws, positioning the Flicky to where Eggman snatch her.

"Lily! No!" Amy cried out.

"Well done, Decoe and Bocoe," the doctor praised.

"Thank you, doctor," the two henchbots replied.

"Let's see..."

Seizing a hold of the bird, the egg-shaped scientist removed the collar that was strapped to her neck. He snapped the collar open, causing the blue Chaos Emerald to fall into his open palm.

"It's a Chaos Emerald!" Tails cried out.

"Be gone! All of you! This is all I really need! Gamma!"

A section of the flood suddenly opened up, an ellipsoid-shaped robot suddenly emerging.

"You summoned me, Dr. Eggman?" the robot droned.

"Mr. Robot," Amy gasped.

"Shoot that blue hedgehog full of holes!" he ordered.

"Aye aye, sir."

"You wanna fight?" Sonic questioned.

"It is Dr. Eggman's orders."

"Stop it, both of you! This robot is a good robot."

"Good robot?"

"Yes, that's why…"  
Whatever Amy intended to say was immediately cut off, with Gamma levelling it's arm-mounted gun at the hedgehog. Firing a laser blast, Sonic easily avoided it, but a blackened scorch mark marred the ground where he had been standing. The robot rocketed towards the retreating hedgehog, firing blast after blast the rocked the ship.

"Stop it!" Amy shouted.

Neither robot nor hedgehog heeded her calls, with the former continuing its relentless assault.

"You're going all out," Sonic stated.

Chunks of debris were ripped up in the chaos, which Sonic used to overcome his opponent. Grabbing a piece of debris that had been sent airborne, he used it to block a laser shot. Planting his feet against it, Sonic used all his strength to send it colliding with the robot. Crashing into the ground, the blue Hedgehog charged forward, intent on delivering the final blow. Amy quickly intervened, placing herself in between the two combatants.

"Stop, Sonic."

"That's one of Eggman's robots, Amy. Move out of the way."

"This robot is not an evil robot."

Sonic wasn't impressed, but the wetness in her green eyes was enough to cause him to relent.

"Okay. I understand, Amy. I guess you have your reasons."

An explosion suddenly rocked the Egg Carrier, and they could feel that it had abruptly begun to descend.

"Sonic, this ship…We're losing altitude!"

Eggman cried out in surprise, with Decoe and Boece clearly just as panicked about the situation.

"Dr. Eggman..." the gold henchbot began.

"We have to do something!" his companion said.

"I know!"

The world conquering scientist quickly fled inside the ship, leaving behind his two assistants to chase after him

"We have to go after Eggman!" the fox announced.

"I'll catch Eggman. You take Amy and get out of here."

"What?"

"You came here even though you were hurt because you wanted to rescue Amy, right?"

"Yes but..."

"There's no time to waste. Hurry!" Sonic ordered.

"But…"

"Come on now. I'm asking you to do an important job."

The twin-tailed fox's blue eyes glanced down at his sneakered feet, mulling over what to do.

"Okay."

"See you!"

The hedgehog raced into the interior of the ship, leaving his companions behind.

"Mr. Robot!...Mr. Robot!" Amy called out, trying desperately to reach her friend.

Gamma's optical sensors soon blinked to life, the fuzziness of Amy's features filling his visual feed.

"Mr. Robot!...Are you awake?...This place is dangerous. You don't have to listen to Eggman anymore. You should flee to somewhere far away."

"Why are you saving me?" he questioned, confusing filling his mechanical voice.

"Because I said that the next time we meet, we'll meet as friends."

Twisting his namesakes together, Tails lifted himself off the ground and grabbed Amy by the waist

"Mr. Robot, I hope we meet again!"

The two disappeared into the distance, with Gamma activating its jetpack and vacating the doomed vessel.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Freefall

Location: Egg Carrier

Ten minutes later...

* * *

Smashing through a wall, Sonic spotted Eggman's personal craft located at the far end of the airship. Chaos was also then, the power of the Emeralds having transformed the creature yet again. It had taken on a form that vaguely resembled a spider, with a tail that formed a zigzag with a blunted tip. Enveloped by the monster was two figures, both of whom he unfortunately recognized.

"Chris, why are you here?" he screamed.

"Sonic...," the boy cried out, his voice coming out distorted.

Eggman's Chaos creature extended several tendrils from its body, extending them towards the hedgehog.

"Hang on, Chris!"

Seizing one of the tendrils, Sonic swung his body and used the momentum to launch himself airborne. Grinding his way down, the hedgehog was successful in getting onto the creature's back. Slamming into it, Sonic shoved his arm forward in an attempt to reach for the ginger-haired human. Chaos' liquid form felt more like rubber then water, and the Mobian was ejected into the air. Chris looked on in shock, while the egg-shaped doctor was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Go, Chaos! Beat Sonic to a pulp!"

The hedgehog was quickly on his feet, dodging the tendrils as they slammed against the deck. Knocked to the ground, his body was immediately received a thrashing by the tendrils.

"Good, Chaos! Finish him off!" Eggman howled in laughter.

"This doesn't hurt at all...," Sonic stated, bracing for another blow.

When it never came, he looked up and discovered that a familiar-looking echidna with red fur had intercepted the attack.

"Knuckles!"

"I guess it's my turn."

"What are you planning to do?"

"What else?" he declared, holding up his fist.

"Of course."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Don't you know? Chaos's body absorbs impacts."

"So this monster is like solid jelly. I'm hard-boiled, so I hate boneless softies!"

"It may not have bones, but it seems to have a core," Sonic pointed out, climbing to his feet.

"Is that it?"

Looking in the direction of where Knuckles was pointing, Sonic studied the bulbous mass at the center of Chaos' body.

"Probably."

The two Mobians exchanged a glance, smiling at each other before Knuckles destroyed the tendril that he had seized. Both charged forward, with the burly echidna quickly moving to get out in front of the hedgehog.

"Are you ready?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah! See ya!"

Launching himself into the air, Knuckles slashed at the creature's hide and carved a deep grove that exposed its core. Left venerable, Sonic immediately capitalized by launching himself into a spin directed at the core. The impact destabilized the monster's body, causing it to explode into a watery mess. Both Chris and Big were knocked to the ground, wet but relatively unscathed by the ordeal.

"I'm taking back the Chaos Emeralds," Knuckles announced, picking up one of the oversized gems.

The hedgehog acknowledged the echidna's statement, giving a thumbs-up as conformation, but focused his attention on Chris.

"Hey Chris, are you all right?"

"Yeah!" the boy said weakly, "But how are we going to escape from this ship?"

"Tails left the Tornado behind. We'll use that."

Sonic's green eyes caught a glimpse of Robotnik's Egg Mobile, with the bloated scientist attempting to slip away.

"Quietly...Quietly..."

"Dr. Eggman!" a voice called out.

"What about us?"

They saw Decoe and Bocoe emerge from the interior of the vessel, carrying what looked like parachutes.

"Eggman, wait up!"

"I'm not going to wait!" he snapped.

"Eggman!" the hedgehog yelled, launching himself onto the Egg Mobile, "I got you!"

"Let go!"

"I'm not letting go!"

"Sonic...," Chris said, watching the craft disappear off the side.

"There's no need to worry about him. More importantly...," Knuckles trailed off, his attention suddenly drawn to the Tornado.

Having wondered off, Big and Froggy now sat within the crapped cockpit of the blue biplane.

"It's cramped in here."

"Big, what are you doing?"

The human's voice carried by the wind, lost by the distance between himself and the feline.

"What does this button do?" the cat asked, pressing a button at random.

The Tornado's engines began to power up, the sound barely overcoming the howling wind.

"Stop! Don't touch anything!"

"We'll be right there!" Knuckles shouted.

The human and echidna broke into a run, heading in the direction of where the Tornado rested.

"Huh? Did I push something that I shouldn't have? Then how about this?"

Pressing another button, the Tornado suddenly accelerates forward, it's wings spewing sparks as they scrapped along the ground. The aircraft immediately flew over the edge, with Big screaming that they were falling.

"What are we gonna do now!?" Chris cried out, their means of escape quickly fading into the distance.

"On my back," he ordered, "NOW!"

Chris threw his arms around the burly echidna's neck, who grabbed a hold of the boy's legs. Knuckles leapt off the side, whispering a prayer to Aurora that he wouldn't be too heavy to prevent himself from gliding. Dreads fanning outward, the echidna was able to catch the wind currents and glide themselves to safety.

"Where is everyone?" Decoe inquired.

"Search me," his companion stated.

"Oh well."

The two henchbots promptly abandoned ship, parachuting to the safety of the ground below.

"No use hanging around here."

"You can say that again."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Showdown

Location: Mystic Ruins

Two hours later...

* * *

Sonic moved through the overgrown jungle, trying to navigate his way back to Station Square. His speed was a liability, which could easily lead to him breaking a leg if he wasn't cautious. Slapping at a mosquito, he continued in the direction of where he hoped the Hidden City lay.

"Damn that Eggman," he growled.

Thrown from the Egg Mobile, the hedgehog was now stranded out in the middle of nowhere. Entering a clearing, he found himself surrounded by ruins, with his attention immediately drawn towards a temple. It was better condition then those that surrounded it, its most distinctive feature being the tree growing out of the roof.

"Well that not something you see every day," he commented.

A bright pink orb of light suddenly drifted out from behind the temple, circling around Sonic's head before floating away.

"What is that..."

He watched as it stopped before the entrance of the temple, remaining there as if wanting him to follow.

"Are you inviting me?"

as the orb disappeared inside, Sonic quickly raced up the steps, heading into the interior. Dark and narrow corridors welcomed him, the orb providing the only source of illumination. His green eyes scanned the walls, the slabs stones having been stained with years of mold growth. Exiting the passage, they entered a chamber that was illuminated by pedestals topped with yellow orbs. At the far end was a doorway, water pouring from the mouth of some kind of sea creature that had been suspended above it. Passing through the curtain of water, Sonic immediately shuddered from the discomfort. He continued to head down another passage, descending the set of stairs that he encountered. The sound of water increased, and the hedgehog soon found himself at a stone bridge suspended over a bottomless pit. Walking to the far end, he stood before a wall mural, one that had been carved out of jade.

"What is this?"

It was the image of a serpentine sea monster, which seemed to be unleashing a massive flood. His eyes fell upon the text that had been carved into the wall, which provided him with some context.

"A monster and a flood? What does it mean?"

"When sadness and anger overflow, a great disaster will descend upon us."

"Who are you?" Sonic demanded, "Come on out, I won't hurt you."

No reply came, instead the hedgehog was alone, the sound of flowing water his only companion. Venturing back outside, he discovered Eggman flying past onboard his personal transport.

"Eggman, how dare you show your face! I'm not going to let you get away this time!"

He immediately took off in pursuit of the dictator, no longer concerned with his own safety. He quickly lost sight of him, but soon discovered a tower that rose up from the valley below.

"When did he have time to build this base?"

He quickly had to remind himself that Nate had found reports indicating that Eggman had been moving supplies into the area. A docking tube had been extended from the tower, providing access to the base's interior.

* * *

Location: Final Egg

Three minutes later...

* * *

Forgoing the stealthy approach, Sonic smashed his way through the door and immediately triggered an alarm. Flashing a thumbs-up towards the camera, the hedgehog promptly took off down the hallway. Lines of red light flashed from hidden batteries, leaving scorch-marks on the concrete floor.

"Can you keep up with me?" he asked jokingly, knowing that he too fast to be hit.

Eggman must've heard his remark, as the second he entered into a tunnel the floor suddenly opened up, revealing a set of hidden rollers. They were moving backwards, causing the hedgehog to run at a standstill, regardless of how fast he ran. As if that wasn't enough, a giant steel ball rolled its way down the tunnel from behind. Going into a spindash, he continued to roll in place until the ball made contact, sending him ricocheting down the tunnel. Crashing through door at the far end, Sonic found that he had ended up in another hallway. Racing down the corridor, he rounded a corner and came face-to-face with Bokkun.

"BOOOO!" the Chao-like robot shouted.

The hedgehog was taken by surprise, something that the messenger robot took notice of.

"Hooray! I scared you!" he declared.

"Whatever. So what's it going to be this time?"

"I'm here to give you a message from Dr. Eggman. Clean out your ears and listen carefully."

Reaching into his backpack, Bokkun produced a small television that normally concluded with a minor explosion. The black screen quickly lit up, displaying the image of the doctor's sneering visage.

 _"Sonic, the time has come for us to settle things once and for all. I'll be waiting for you in the deepest section of Final Egg. After delivering this message, this robot will automatically...Whatever, it doesn't matter."_

As the screen went dark, Bokkun raised the television above his head and smashed it into the floor.

"I HATE YOU DR. EGGMAN!" he screamed, flying off in a huff.

Sonic arrived in the central chamber not long after, finding Eggman seated behind the controls of one of his contraptions. It was serpentine in appearance, with a pair of wheels with gray spikes that offset the vehicle's red colour-scheme.

"You actually stayed instead of running away, Eggman."

" How dare you say that, Sonic! How dare you interfere with my plans every time! You wrecked my plans for conquering the world! You defeated Chaos, which was my final hope! You also destroyed Egg Carrier! You will pay for this with your life! I'll show you the ace up my sleeve. You're finished this time, Sonic!"

"I'll teach you that no matter how many times you try, you will always fail!"

"You won't be talking big for much longer!"

The cockpit hatch slid closed, and the Egg Viper immediately fired, but Sonic easily dodged it. A searing beam of red light cut through the floor, thick black smoke pouring through the opening. The entire complex seemed to rumble, suggesting that Eggman might've hit something volatile.

"Are you also trying to destroy Final Egg?" Eggman questioned.

"You're destroying it yourself."

The craft reared back and Sonic quickly slammed into it, sending it retreating into the rafters.

"Eggman, it's pointless to try to escape," Sonic announced.

The grates on the floor suddenly lit up, with the Egg Viper emerging and throwing Sonic to the ground.

"Sonic, you're finished!"

Unable to get to his feet in time, the hedgehog's body was crushed by the vehicle's segmented tail. The Egg Viper continued with its attack, with Sonic crying out with each successive blow. Curling into a ball, Sonic launched himself at the robot, shattering the tail and penetrating it. Landing on the ground, Sonic watched as the vehicle crashed into the ground, erupting into the flames. Eggman quickly ejected from the wreckage, flying toward the opening in the ceiling in his Eggmobile.

"You'll pay for this, Sonic! How frustrating!"

The fire was quickly spreading, and it was only a matter of time before something flammable ignited.

"I'm going home," he announced, racing up the wall and disappearing through the hole in the roof.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Water Rising

Location: Mystic Ruins

Thirty minutes later...

* * *

Relaxing beneath a tree, Sonic watched as black smoke billowed from the ruins of the Final Egg.

"Sonic!" a voice called out.

Sitting up, the hedgehog turned in the direction of the voice and found Tails flying into the clearing.

"Tails, you're okay!" he said, relieved to see the fox cub.

"Yeah. Amy's fine too," Tails reported, landing.

"What brings you all the way out here?"

"I'm trying to locate the Tornado."

"All the way out here?"

"That's according to the tracker Nate and I installed."

"Well...In that case," Sonic said, standing, "We best find it together."

Heading into the jungle, the pair proceeded through the dense foliage, until they stumbled across Knuckles. The echidna had his back to them, his attention purple eyes focused on something on the ground.

"Its Knuckles," Tails announced.

The echidna glanced over his shoulder, a small smirks on his face as he suddenly stepped aside. Laying upon the ground was Eggman, who was seemingly unconscious or dead. Cautiously approaching, the two Freedom Fighters came to a stop next to the Guardian.

"Eggman," Sonic muttered.

"Yeah," Knuckles confirmed.

"What happened?"

"Beats me. I found him lying here."

Grabbing a stick from off the ground, Tails gave Eggman a poke to see if he was still alive. Abruptly sitting up, the young fox let out a scream that startled his companions.

"He's alive!"

"It's Chaos," the doctor grumbled.

"Chaos?" the hedgehog questioned, shocked.

It's still alive, and no longer listening to me anymore."

"What do you mean?" Knuckles demanded, seizing Eggman by the collar.

"Cut it out, Knuckles," Sonic warned, grabbing the echidna's arm.

"You're so violent!" Eggman said mockingly, "If anything happens to me, I'll haunt you as a ghost!"

The egg-shaped dictator abruptly rose into the air, leaving the trio both confused and stunned.

"He's already a ghost," Tails cried out.

Looking higher into the air, the Mobians discovered that he was being airlifted by Decoe and Bocoe in a hot-air balloon.

"We've come to retrieve you, Dr. Eggman," Decoe reported.

"We're sorry for all the trouble we caused," Bocoe added.

Glancing up at his henchbots, Eggman could only cast a disapproving look at the two robots.

"Why are you apologizing to Sonic?"

"It's good to be humble every now and then."

"Getting all worked up isn't helpful."

"Shut up! This is all Chaos's fault! Immediately head to Point X! Okay!"

"Yes sir, Dr. Eggman," the pair replied.

As they flew away, Knuckles shook his head, dumbfounded by what had just transpired.

"If what Eggman said was true, then Chaos is an unbelievable monster. If it gets hold of the seven Chaos Emeralds…," the echidna said.

"I know," Sonic admitted, crossing his arms.

"Fortunately, the seven Chaos Emeralds haven't been gathered."

He had collected six of the gems following their battle with the creature onboard the Egg Carrier, leaving one remaining.

"Knuckles!" another voice called out.

Turning around, the group discovered Chris running towards them, holding a glowing grey gemstone above his head. He had left the human behind at the crash site of the Tornado, something that he was coming to regret. Recognizing the gem as the final Chaos Emerald, Knuckles let out a panicked scream. As he got within distance of the Mobians, the ground suddenly rumbled as a pillar of water shot straight into the air.

"Chris!" Sonic shouted, as he watched the boy suddenly engulfed by the water.

Rushing forward, the hedgehog leaped into the geyser and grabbed a hold of the boy's left hand. The sheer strength of the water was enough to rip the emerald free from his other hand.

"Hang-on!" Knuckles roared, charging forward.

Leaping into the air, the echidna swung his leg and delivered a kick at the pillar of water. He sliced through with ease, scattering the water particles across the surrounding area. Freed from the geyser, Sonic landed on the ground, Chris' body held within his arms. A crack opened up within the jungle floor, forcing Tails to go airborne as the ever widening fissure swallowed the sack containing the Master Emerald shards and the Chaos Emeralds. More water burst into the air in a mighty geyser, the liquid abruptly falling back in the newly created opening.

"The seven Chaos Emeralds are now all together," Knuckles lamented.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault," Chris said, crestfallen.

"That Chaos...!" the hedgehog snarled.

* * *

Location: Station Square

That same time...

* * *

Water surged through the sewer system, the sheer volume being too more then what it could handle. The bustling streets above rumbled, serving as the only indication that something was wrong. Standing at the side of the road, Sam Speed had just pulled over a driver who had violated the speed limit.

"You were doing 50 in a 35 mile an hour zone," he stated, "But since you did ask for my autograph I'll let you off with a warning."

A nearby manhole cover was suddenly shot into the air, launched by a geyser of water. He was briefly startled, but dismissed it as possibly being just a break in the water main. Fissures opened up in the road, allowing more water to flood the narrowest streets and widest thoroughfares. As people fled, Sam watched as every window of a nearby building was suddenly blown out, sending even more water spilling into the streets. Other buildings suffered a similar experience, which prompted the officer ushering citizens to the rooftops.

"You'll be safe here. Hurry!"

As people fled indoors, a wave of water washed through the streets, knocking him to the ground. Swept down the street, Sam struggled to keep himself from being pulled beneath the surface. Water exploded outward from a nearby building, shattering the intact panes of glass. The water didn't add to the deluge, instead it remained stationary and coalesced into something. A serpentine head took form within the building, its mouth filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth. A deafening roar echoed throughout the cavern, with everyone's attention drawn to the newly appeared monster.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Reign of Chaos

Location: Thorndyke Estate

Five minutes later...

* * *

Sally attention was fixated on the television, news of the monster attack being reported by SSTV.

 _"Station Square's central area is completely destroyed. Everyone, stay calm and evacuate!"_ Scarlet Garcia urged.

Cheese was in a full-blown panic, jabbing his paw towards the television and the chaos that was unfolding.

"What's wrong, Cheese?" Cream asked.

The Chao offered no explanation, leaving those present to hypnotize a potential cause.

"Maybe he's scared," Ella suggested.

"Don't worry. There's nothing to be afraid of, Cheese."

This only seemed to incense the Chao further, only becoming distracted when Chuck entered the living room.

"What are you doing? We must leave immediately!"

"But Chris isn't back yet," the maid stated.

"What?"

Looking towards the television, his thoughts immediately turned to his missing grandson. He hoped that he wasn't in the disaster area, but the floodwaters were spreading fast.

"We're going out there," the Princess announced.

"What!? You can't be serious," Chuck half-shouted in disbelief.

"We have to do something, those people need help."

"We're with you, Sally-girl," Bunnie announced.

Turning around, the chipmunk found he companions nodding their heads in agreement. It was their duty to render assistance, or at least try to keep the loss of life at a minimum.

"But that crazy!"

"We've risked life and limb before," Amy stated, "This is nothing new."

The pink hedgehog had only just returned, having venture to the crash site of the Egg Carrier. She had wanted to rescue Lily's brother and sister, who had been taken by Eggman to power his robots. The siblings now occupied the ledge of the window, having followed Amy back to the mansion.

"Are they always like this?" Chuck asked, directing his questioned towards Nate.

"I haven't known them for very long," Nate began, "But this is exactly the type of thing that they work towards preventing."

The Mobians immediately headed for the entryway, with Nate quickly following behind them. Upon exiting the residence, Sally turned her blue eyes skyward, taking notice of the dark clouds that filled the sky.

"I wish Rotor was here," she lamented, knowing how much help he could've been.

"No point on dwelling on what could've been, Princess."

Despite knowing that Nate was correct, her mind could help but wonder at the thought.

"Alright, time to get to work people."

* * *

Location: Station Square

Ten minutes later...

* * *

Having recovered the Tornado, Tails had utilized its jet mode to quickly get back to the hidden city. Now that they had reached the mountain, he had transformed it back into its bi-plane mode. Seeing the devastation first hand, the fox felt his breath become caught in his throat.

"By Aurora," Knuckles muttered.

The echidna was perched on the tail of the aircraft, watching as military forces launched an attack. Bullets were ineffective against the creature, and missiles only resulted in the destruction of the attack helicopters. Looking towards the ruined street below them, they spotted Sonic attempting to combat the monster. It was clear that the hedgehog was outmatched, and Tails immediately put the Tornado into a dive. Sent airborne, Sonic would've landed in the flood water had he not landed on a broken board, using it as a makeshift surfboard.

"SONIC!" Chris called out.

Looking into the sky, the hedgehog saw the young human reaching out for him with his left arm. Seizing a hold of the hand, Sonic was pulled into the air when the Tornado ascended.

"Are you all right?"

"Thanks, buddy!" he said.

"Sonic, I…"

Sonic could see the pained expression on the boy's face, blaming himself for the events that had unfolded.

"Don't mind, Chris. Anyway, it's more powerful than anyone we've fought so far, so I'm counting on you to back me up."

This declaration lifted the boy's spirits, whose guilt had kept him silent for the entire flight back to the city.

"Yeah!"

"Okay, let's go!"

Taking the hint, Tails flew the Tornado into battle, skillfully avoiding the spears of water launched by Perfect Chaos. Swinging himself up, Sonic let go of Chris' hand and landed on the wings of the blue biplane. The aircraft strifed the monster, peppering it with bullets, but the attack proved to be ineffective. A shadow soon fell upon them, causing Sonic to look up and discovered Eggman's flagship passing directly overhead.

 _"Move aside, Sonic!"_ Eggman ordered.

The Egg Carrier overtook the smaller vessel, quickly moving to confront the traitorous water monster.

"Listen, Chaos! If you won't follow my orders, you have no reason to exist! Attack it with everything!"

Missiles were launched from every port, streaking forward, but were prevented from reaching their target. Chaos erected a bubble of energy around itself, causing the missiles to impact against it. Dropping the shield, the water monster opened its maw and spewed a beam of energy that struck the Egg Carrier. The air fortress exploded instantly, sending it plummeting into the raging waters below.

"Damn, it's out of control!" Sonic cursed.

Knuckles immediately jumped from the biplane, stretching his arms forward and catching the air.

"Where's Knuckles going?" Chris asked.

"To save Eggman's hide," the hedgehog answered.

A glowing ball suddenly manifested in midair, enveloping the aircraft in a blinding light.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Rampage

Location: Station Square

One minute later...

* * *

When the light subsided, Sonic found himself standing on the wet pavement of a ruined highway. A silhouette took shape within the light, taking the form of an echidna with peach-orange fur. She wore a tribal dress of woven cloth, with white sandals and a golden tiara inset with a sapphire.

"Tell me. Who are you?"

"I am Tikal," she introduced, "I am a daughter of the echidna tribe that once dwelled within the Mystic Ruins. Ages ago, my father assaulted the shrine where the Chaos Emeralds resided, seeking to use them in his conquests. It was the home of the Chao back then, who were watched over by their Guardian; Chaos. The attack brought harm to the Chao, and in his fury, Chaos used the emeralds' power to punish those responsible.

"How was he stopped?" Sonic asked.

"I sacrificed myself to imprison him within the Master Emerald, lest he destroy the world. My spirit remained alongside him throughout the millennia, trying to keep its power under control. However, an evil black heart has awakened it."

"You mean Eggman."

Chaos suddenly reared back, regurgitating the emeralds and scattering them throughout the disaster area. One landed at the feet of Tikal, its light extinguished, leaving it little more then a hunk of rock.

"Look! he's absorbed the Emerald's power! He must be sealed in the Master Emerald, NOW!"

"How can that help? It won't change how he feels inside, will it? His heart will still remain in turmoil and his anger just won't vanish! He'll just be trapped forever!"

"What choice do we have?" she demanded, clutching the emerald.

Sonic had no answer, there was no possible solution to the predicament they found themselves in.

"Sonic!" a voice called out.

Turning, the hedgehog found Cream bounding towards him, followed behind by Chuck, Ella, and Tanaka.

"I picked this up. Here you go," she said, handing over the yellow emerald.

"Sonic!" Amy called out.

The pink hedgehog held an emerald over her head, followed closely behind by a trio of Flicky birds.

"This was my lucky charm, but I'll lend it to you," Big stated, offering the emerald.

Tails and Knuckles were walking across the highway, followed by an exhausted-looking Eggman, Decoe, and Bocoe."

"Chaos only used the negative power of the Emeralds. Sonic, you should be able to harness their real power!" the fox announced.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I think Tails is right about this!" Knuckles added, glancing at Eggman, "Hey!"

"Fine. Here," the doctor grumbled, relinquishing the emerald.

"Everyone..."

"Just one more left," Tails stated.

"Sonic, I found it!"

Racing down the opposite end of the highway was Chris, who was waving around the final emerald. His foot made contact with some debris, causing him to stumble and fall flat on his face. Sonic immediately raced forward, assisting the young human in getting back onto his feet.

"Sonic!" the boy said, handing over the emerald.

"We've gathered them all."

Someone shouted his name from a nearby rooftop, then another, then all of Station Square was chanting his name. It was enough for the emeralds regained their glow, and slowly began to float into the air.

"Anger and sadness are not the only methods to draw power out of the Chaos Emeralds?" Tikal gasped.

"Negative forces aren't the only way to empower the Chaos Emeralds. Our positive feelings toward each other can make them work. Our hearts together form awesome power," Tails stated.

Sonic closes his eyes and harnessed the positive energy of the emeralds, causing his fur to change for cobalt-blue to hot-yellow. Rising into the air, Chris stared in awe at the transformation that his friend had undergone.

"Stay back everyone, I'll handle this!" Super Sonic declared, launching himself forward.

Perfect Chaos erected a shield around himself, but the force of the blow caused it to fail instantly. The creature reared backwards and roared, unleashing waterspouts that instantly turned to icy spears. The chaos-powered hedgehog immediately went into a spin attack, shattering through them as they inched towards him. Firing a blast of energy, Super Sonic veered out of the way, the beam striking the inside of the mountain. Prefect Chaos fired a second blast, this one purposely directed at Chris and the others. He quickly veered in front of it, crossing his arms and allowing the blast to collide with him.

"Sonic!" Chris shouted once the dust had settled.

"I'm your opponent," the hedgehog declared.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Chaotic Clash

Location: Station Square

Five minutes later..

* * *

His golden-yellow form streaked across the skyline, colliding with a skyscraper with bone-shattering force. Had he not been in his super-state, he would've found himself with numerous broken bones.

"My head may feel like scrambled eggs, but that's nothing compared to how I'm going to make butt-ugly feel."

Pushing off from the building, Super Sonic rocketed forward and threw himself down the creature's open maw. Speeding down through the beast's gullet, he violently burst out of his body as it collided into a nearby buildings. Debris was hurled everywhere, raining down on those who hadn't been able to reach shelter in time. He saw Antoine trying to usher a group of humans to safety, only for a hunk of debris to strike him in the leg. Knocked to the ground, the hedgehog was angered by the sight of comrade being injured. Taking a deep breath, Super Sonic focused his attention on the immediate threat to everyone's safety. Zipping forward, he used his speed to his advantage and maneuvered his way behind the enraged monster. Charging, he tore his way through the water monster and rebounding off several buildings.

"Tikal may not wanna see you hurt, bub, but if it's a matter of my dead carcase or yours, here's a clue...it ain't me that going down."

Super Sonic went in for another attack, but Chaos was on to him and reared forward and smashed him through a building.

"That sucker packs a wallop," he thought to himself, trying to shake away the cobwebs, "Speaking of which, he looks as dazed as I feel, still doesn't mean I can take him out."

Launching himself skyward, the hedgehog rocketed away, hoping to lead the monster on a chase.

"How 'bout we see if it's better to juice then fight, slimy. Betcha can't catch me you overgrown water rat."

Gliding over the flooded streets with Chaos on his heels, he spotted Sally standing atop a damaged highway. The chipmunk was clutching something in her right hand, but the hedgehog had more immediate concerns.

"Sal, get out of the way!" he shouted.

"Just keep heading towards me, Sonic!"

Flying above her, she raised a metal pipe into the air and handed it off to the hedgehog.

"Take this copper pipe," she instructed, "We just saw Knuckles head into the power sub-station."

"No time for diagrams, Sal. Just stay out of Sea-Ugly's way."

Sally was quickly whisked away by Tails, and not a moment too soon as Perfect Chaos smashed his way through the broken highway. Super Sonic continued onward, leading the monster through the water-logged metropolis.

"Too bad this isn't a videogame, where you hit the pause button for a timeout," the Chaos-powered hedgehog lamented, "Here's hoping five will get you ten, and that Knuckles is doing better on his end."

Reaching the Power Plant, Super Sonic stopped so that he was within the intact power lines.

"Don't go there, Sonic," Sally yelled from a nearby rooftop, "If the generator goes online..."

"Yeah? Well I kinda like my chances."

Holding position, Sonic watched as Perfect Chaos slowly maneuvered his way into range of the power lines. He could feel himself growing bored with waiting, but nonetheless forced himself to remain stationary. Electricity filled the air, and Sonic immediately knew that Knuckles had been successful in his mission. Arcs of electricity danced across the power lines, forcing the hedgehog to make a hasty retreat. Making contact with the lines, Chaos let out a shriek as he was electrocuted, his liquid-like form acting as a conductor. Heavily weakened, Super Sonic took the opportunity to go on the offensive once again. Thrashing angrily, the water monster snapped the power lines and swung at tentacle at the hedgehog. Catching it in an overhand swing in both his hands, a grin spread across his face as he drew upon the Power of Chaos. A glowing yellow light expanded its way throughout the limb, quickly disintegrating into motes of light.

"It's my turn," Super Sonic declared.

The hedgehog rocketed forward, causing Perfect Chaos to rear back and fire off another beam of energy. Sonic didn't even attempt to evade, instead choosing to fly directly into the monster's tooth-filled maw. The beam was split into many, with several slamming against the interior of the mountain. Rearing backwards, the Chaos Creature's body glowed bright yellow as Super Sonic tore through its body and landed on a ruined highway. The monster complete disintegrated, while the hedgehog reverted back into his normal form.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Aftermath

Location: Station Square

Five minutes later...

* * *

Breaking the surface of the water, Knuckles instantly knew that the Hidden City of the Ancients was no longer in danger. A certain calmness had settled upon the metropolis, despite the damage it had sustained.

"Knuckles!" a voice called out.

Looking up, the echidna spotted a familiar-looking Overlander attempting to help him back onto dry land.

"Hawk!"

"Take my hand."

Reaching up, the echidna seized the man hand and pulled himself out of the floodwater.

"What's the score?" he asked.

"That gold guy just took out that monster."

"Then it's finally over."

Speaking too soon, the Guardian watched as a tendril of water leapt up onto the collapsed roadway, puddling and reforming. It was no longer in its Perfect Chaos form, instead it had reverted back into its original form.

"It's still alive!?" Knuckles cried out in disbelief.

Cheese suddenly appeared next to him, quickly joined by the others, with the exception of Eggman and his henchbots. Chaos took a step forward, his attention still hostile despite having been stripped of his power. Suddenly stopping, the creature's attention was drawn to the floodwater, and the numerous Chao emerging from it.

"I've never seen so many Chao before," Cream stated.

Chaos suddenly appeared docile, his attention completely fixated on the small pudgy creatures.

"These are the Chao you were protecting," Tikal announced, stopping in front of Chaos, "They stayed alive for generations and continue to live in peace."

The ancient echidna turned her attention to those that had gathered, a smile appearing on her lips.

"Thank you so much!"

Spreading her arms, both herself and Chaos rose into the air, disappearing in a brilliant flash of light.

"After all that it's over," Sonic complained, "Doesn't seem right somehow."

"What do you care anyhow?" Knuckles questioned, "They're now one less headache to worry about. As for me, I've got to get these emerald shards back and figure out how to restore Angel Island with 'em."

"Need any help?" Tails asked.

"Nah! I'll probably have all I need back at the ranch."

"Then take care, Knuckles," Sally said.

"Later, big guy."

As the group headed off, the echidna removed the Guiding Star Gem from his glove and concentrated. He felt power rush throughout his body, and he allowed it to whisk him back to Angel Island.

" _Attention, citizens of Station Square,"_ a voice boomed overhead.

Their eyes drawn skyward, the Mobians discovered that a large airship had taken up position over the devastated metropolis.

"Oh what now?" Sonic demanded.

"It's the National Defense Force," Chuck stated.

 _"This is Captain Amanda Tower of the Letter of Gabriel. GUN forces are being deployed to rescue you. Please remain calm and give your full cooperation to GUN troops. We will protect you forces. You will be safe."_

"Sally, I'm receiving an incoming transmission from that vessel," NICOLE reported.

"Patch it through," Sally instructed, removing the handheld from her hip, "Hello? This his Princess Sally Acorn of the Knothole Freedom Fighters."

 _"A pleasure your highness. It looks like you could use a hand,"_ the brown-haired woman stated, displayed by NICOLE's holo-projector.

"Yes! Thank you. Your timing could be better."

 _"Thank us? Thank you. If it weren't for you Freedom Fighters, we'd be doing cleanup instead of rescue. Kudos for expertly managing this crisis with such a small squad. You made a real difference here."_

* * *

Location: Station Square

The next day...

* * *

Sally made her way through the cafeteria of Station Square Elementary, having been transformed into an emergency shelter. Despite the floodwaters having receded, there were many who had lost their homes or lives. Even the Thorndyke's home had sustained water damage, making it unlivable for the time being. This wasn't how she had wanted things to turn out, and she felt bad for having to leave behind a destroyed city. She caught sight of Chris entering the room, carrying emergency supplies alongside two of his friends.

"Have you found our son yet?" a voice asked.

Sally turned, discovering a man and woman speaking to a GUN soldier assigned to the building. The man was dressed in blue military fatigues, with a black Kevlar vest and a matching helmet. They were branded with GUN's logo, which was short for the Guardian Units of the Nation.

"I'm sorry, but there's been no report of a boy being found."

The woman broke down crying and comforted by her husband, that was until Sonic screeched to a halt in the cafeteria. He had a brown-haired boy in his arm, little more then a toddler, dressed in an orange t-shirt and green shorts.

"Is this your child?" the hedgehog asked, holding him up.

"Mommy!" the boy cried out.

"Jim! Thank goodness!" the woman said, scooping the child up in her arms and hugging him.

"Sonic, thank you!" the father said.

"Thank you very much!"

The hedgehog looked embarrassed by the praise, waving it off and heading in her direction.

"You look pretty beat," she stated, handing him a bottle of water, "And that's saying something."

"Chaos really did a number on the city," he reported, "I feel kinda bad leaving it looking like this."

"I do to. But daddy sent us here to warn the inhabitants about Robotnik and we've done that."

"Still doesn't feel right to just bug out."

"Do you really have to leave?" Chris asked, suddenly approaching.

"Afraid so," Sally confirmed, "We've got friends and family waiting for us back in Mobotropolis."

"Don't you worry, buddy," Sonic said, "I'm sure we'll wind up back down here in the not so distant future."

"And Westside Island isn't too far away that you couldn't come and visit. Consider it a Royal Invitation."

"I...I'd like that very much, your highness."

"Thank you, Chris," Sally said, "For opening your home to us."


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: The Big Payback

Location: Station Square

Three days later...

* * *

Though the city was still in ruins, the Knothole Freedom Fighters were surprised by how many people turning out to see them off. It had been hastily organized by Mayor Bullyani, which had succeeded in catching them off-guard.

"I know you were set to go home, Freedom Fighters. But we citizens of Station Square just wanted to express our gratitude to you," the Mayor announced to the crowd, "Your combined efforts saved our entire city from annihilation and-"

"HEADS-UP-SONIC!" a voice interrupted.

His attention drawn to the voice, he discovered a hedgehog-shaped robot hovering above the crowd. It was silver in design, and familiar to another silver hedgehog robot that he had previously tussled with.

"THE-EGGMAN-HAS-A-SCORE-TO-SETTLE-WITH-YOU-AND-I-JUST-THE-HEDGEHOG-TO-DO-IT!"

"Are you serious, dude?"

"WAY-PAST!"

Thrusting his right arm forward, Silver Sonic II fired a pair of rockets directly at his blue counterpart.

 _"Guided missiles! No time to get everyone to safety, but maybe I don't have to,"_ Sonic thought to himself.

Taking off down the ruined street, the missiles automatically altered their trajectory and followed after him.

 _"I knew it! Ro'butt'nik's flunky has targeted me and only me...cool!"_

Racing through the revolving doors of a department store, Sonic quickly zipped back out onto the streets as the missiles impacted.

 _"But why does everything always have to revolve around me?"_

"Leave Sonic alone, you jerk!" Tails shouted, flying up to meet the android.

"GET-LOST-KID!" he warned, suddenly snared by fishing line.

Searching for the source, Silver Sonic II discovered that it was Big the Cat who was responsible.

"Going somewhere?"

"AS-A-MATTER-OF-FACT-," he said, seizing the twin-tailed fox by the leg.

"My leg!"

"YES!"

Swinging the fox, the robotic doppelganger hurled him directly into the feline fisherman. As the two collided,

"What is it, Princess Sally?" Mayor Bullyani asked.

"A message from Robotnik letting us know that he won't give up without a fight," she answered, "Well neither will we."

Joined by Bunnie and Amy, they were prepared to enter the fray and provide assistance to the hedgehog. They were immediately intercepted by Silver Sonic II, who began charging up his eye lasers.

"NO-BIGGIE!" he announced, firing off a blast.

As the ladies scrambled for cover, Sonic launched himself into the air and collided with the robot.

"I can see why you're not exactly popular with the ladies, or anybody else!"

The pair crashed through the window of an electronics store, sending television sets shattering against the linoleum floor.

"Admit it, metal head! I've got you against the ropes," Sonic declared.

"AS-IF. LET-ME-BREAK-IT-DOWN-FOR-YOU."

Launching a metal cable from his left arm, the robotic reproduction ensnared one of the building's support columns.

"ARE YOU CRAZY!?"

Bringing the entire building down on their heads, it was Silver Sonic II who emerged from the rubble.

"HASTA-LA-VISTA-MISTAH," the robot declared, taking to the air once more.

"Sonic," Bunnie cried out, rushing over to the site of the building collapse.

She was joined by her fellow Freedom Fighters, with even Chris and Chuck offering their assistance.

"Dig quickly, everyone," Nate urged, "We have to determine the extent of the lad's..."

The words quickly died on the Overlander's lips, discovering that the hedgehog had burrowed underground.

"Injuries!?...well, I'll be."

"Sonic's gone undahground," the rabbit stated, "And ah think that's gotta means that ol' chrome dome's in fer a major hedgehog surprise!"

As if on cue, the super-sonic hedgehog un-burrowed half a block away and launched himself at the replica.

"Mind if I tag along?" he asked, snagging him by the legs.

"STILL-ALIVE?"

"And soooo ready to kick your shiny 'bot six way to Sunday."

"BRING-IT-ON!"

Silver Sonic II accelerated, making every attempt to shake his organic loose, but to no success.

"YOU-REALLY-THINK-YOU-AND-HANG-HOMEY?"

"You clinched it."

The robot slammed through a building and emerged from the other side, with the hedgehog appearing no worse for wear.

"C'mon, is that the worse you can do?" Sonic questioned.

"NO-THIS-IS!" he said, aiming his right arm at the hedgehog's face.

Sonic immediately saw the laser barrel tucked inside, causing him to quickly release his hold.

"Smell ya later."

Silver Sonic II fired, the blast blowing off his own foot, which tumbled to the ground below.

"Don't worry, Sonic! I gotcha!" Tails declared, catching the hedgehog as he fell.

The dismembered foot struck the fox in the, causing him to wobble his way to the nearest rooftop.

"Tails!"

"S'okay...bud...won't...let...you...down."

"WELL-AIN'T-THAT-A-KICK-IN-THE-HEAD."

The silver robot was flying to meet them, but Sonic was too focused on his injured comrade.

"Tails..."

Gritting his teeth, the hedgehog glared at his knockoff and launched into a spin attack, decapitating him.

"BOGUS-BOGUS-BOGUS-BOGUS," the robot droned, his head bouncing across the rooftop.

"Tails, are you alright?" Sonic asked, concern in his voice.

"Uh-huh," he responded, though he was clearly concussed by the blow.

"They're up here everyone," Sally called out, joined by the other freedom fighters.

"And Silvuh Sonic is history," Bunnie added.

"True enough. But what's to prevent Robotnik from trying to take over Station Square once we've departed?"

"I think Robotnik has provided us with the means of preventing that," Nate commented.

* * *

Location: Station Square

Twenty minutes later...

* * *

"Are you sure Robotnik won't be a problem, Princess?" Mayor Bullyani asked.

"You'll be safe from here on in, Mr. Mayor," Sally replied.

"Goodbye and thanks."

Mayor Bullyani immediately departed, leaving the group to venture back to the surface.

"What about you, Big? Care to join us?" the princess asked.

"No thanks, miss. Me n' Froggy are headed back to Cat Country...Home," the feline stated.

"Best of luck, dude," Sonic said, giving him a thumbs-up.

Going their separate ways, the Knothole Freedom Fighters boarded the rail car and took it back to the surface. The Tornado had already been loaded onboard the larger craft, which waited for them.

"There she eez! Zee Freedom Fighter Special, just as we left her, eh?" Antoine stated.

"Sugah-toine, you've got a real flair for the obvious," Bunnie commented.

Less talk, more juice," Sonic complained.

The group boarded the aircraft, with the husband and wife duo taking their place within the cockpit. Starting the engines, the Freedom Fighter Special whipped around and rocketed out of the cave, heading into the cloud-filled skies of the southern continent.


End file.
